


Talos

by Blue_Hood



Series: Children of Arcade [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Inhumans (Comics), Inhumans (TV 2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Afterlife Colony (Marvel), Alien Abduction, Alien Character(s), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Alien Technology, Aliens, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Soldiers, Conspiracy, Crossover, Domestic, F/M, Family Reunions, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inhumans (Marvel), Kree (Marvel), Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Major Original Character(s), Married Couple, Military Background, Mutant Politics, Mutant Powers, Mutants, Post-HYDRA Reveal, Referenced Adoption, Sort Of, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Spaceships, Super Soldier Serum, Swearing, Treason, United Nations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 60,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22604488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Hood/pseuds/Blue_Hood
Summary: Doctor Cassidy decided to put Arcade's work to good use, starting with the super soldier serum. Because of this, Maximus' coup ended differently.
Relationships: Agnes Kitsworth/Holden Radcliffe, Bronaja (Marvel)/Amber Lucas (OC), Christopher Summers/Katherine Summers (past), Cody Robertson/Alice Robertson, Crystal Amaquelin/Pietro Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Faith Stiles/Mark Lucas, Gorgon/Louise, Hank McCoy/Alex Summers, Hepzibah/Christopher Summers, Jean Grey/Scott Summers, Karnak/Jen, Lance Hunter & Erik Lehnsherr, Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Maximus/Auran, Medusalith Amaquelin/Blackagar Boltagon, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Series: Children of Arcade [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742785





	1. Changes

Meeting Quicksilver was interesting, he proved a better mediator than any of the royal family could have hoped to be. The means by which he did this wasn't revealed until after Maximus surrendered the throne back to Black Bolt, on the condition the people have a chance to move to the Earthly Inhuman city of Lai Shi. The former usurper led the exodus, working just as hard as his fellow citizens to expand the temporary safe haven into a proper city. They had their first family dinner after the coup at Lai Shi for the sakes of their Earth friends.

Quicksilver said “Your blood has passed the first round of tests, I'm sure they'll run the tests a few times just to be safe. How do you think you're doing on the character side?”

“Very well, Dr. Gardner was very clear about the rules of the psychological portion.”

“You lie or omit, you're out?”

“Yes.”

Medusa asked “What are you talking about?”

Maximus explained “There was a program several decades ago called Project Rebirth, which produced the super soldier Captain America. Some promising research has come to light and Quicksilver got me on the candidate list for the new serum.”

“That explained all of nothing, plus you're underselling it. Thus far, we have two or three successful super soldiers, namely Captain America and the Red Skull. Back in the 80s, this guy Arcade killed about 300 people using science we still don't fully understand. The research Maximus is referring to is a serum he injected one of his victims with to test out his prized creation, Murderworld, against Captain America. Ever since Abraham Erskine died in the early 40s, we've been trying to replicate his work and the results haven't been good. Then there's Arcade, who took a deathly ill six year old boy, killed him and brought him back in good health. Whatever Arcade did to the kid is still working today. That boy is one of two survivors, the other was forced to act as Arcade's apprentice. She remembered the experiment, remembered fetching supplies and watching him make the serum. If Maximus passes all his tests then he'll be the first super soldier in over half a century. That opportunity, opening Lai Shi to moon Inhumans and digging forty miles of mines is what I gave him to end the coup.”

“All of which you offered,” added Maximus.

“Yeah, the tunneling took like five minutes and I knew that a human from a different evolutionary path would be too tempting for the people working on the new super soldier program.”

Wanda asked “What's your first test gonna be?”

“Speed, I believe.” Maximus said “I've been told that the closer I come to the final selection, the more control the program will have over my life. In the end they want to make sure that the only dependent variable is my body's response to the serum.”

Eventually, Auran interrupted all conversation “Maximus, it's time.”

“Oh right. You'll all want to see this,” he picked up a large box on the way out “Auran, you go on ahead. I'll make sure everything's in place.” Turning off the lights on the way out, he explained, “Lai Shi wasn't really meant for full time residency. I've been working with one of SHIELD's engineers in my free time to upgrade the power grid, we had a series of generators that only needed to be modified. They will be buried throughout the city but tonight, we're launching the new grid.” He leaned against a wall and opened the box, “The grid is only accessible through a biometric lock, three buttons that only Inhumans can press spaced out so that no two people can press them. These are just sparklers, I'm going to pass them out and make sure all the children get to see the central generator turn on. Just follow everyone else but remember, only children get to stand in front.”

After leading and counting the children out front, he moved passed the generator to join Auran in a corner and draw attention to Lincoln Campbell. The Inhuman doctor said “We'll turn it on in just a moment but first we need a volunteer to press the third button right behind me, a child who has undergone Terrigenesis.” He selected one at random and lifted them onto the generator, letting them slide down before guiding the boy to the button and whispering, “Wait until everyone says one then press the button.” Holding his hand up, electricity danced between his fingers as he led the countdown “Five, four, three, two, one.”

All three Inhumans pressed their buttons and the generator lit up to the cheers of the crowd. Maximus and Auran slipped away in the excitement after placing a brick over their button to hide it. Loyolis moved to the front of the crowd along with a fellow miner, together they helped kids safely stand on the generator. The atmosphere was very festive as if turning on the generator was a holiday tradition, briefly distracting the Inhuman royal family from Maximus' disappearing act. Louise asked “Where'd Maximus go?”

One of the Earth Inhumans, a redhead said “Maximus and Auran volunteered to disconnect and move the old generators.”

A nearby man said “Don't worry about it, some of his crew are going to help.”

“Crew?” inquired Medusa.

He looked at her for a moment as if wondering how she didn't know, “We're too early in the expansion for much else, everyone is part of a crew of some kind. Maximus has been handling logistics on the side, like getting us a proper grid. We're turning a temporary safe haven into an actual city, that takes a lot of work.”

A brunette came over to their guests “If you spend the night, we can show you around in the morning before we have to get back to work. Or I can help you find Maximus before you leave.” She offered her hand “I'm Daisy, this is Lincoln,” she pointed to the blond flanking her “He's our doctor, or will be once we get that far.”

Black Bolt signed, Medusa translated “Black Bolt would like to speak with Maximus before making a decision.”

“Alright.” Daisy said “Mr. Maximoff, would you mind getting the canopy set up? Don't cover the courtyard but get it ready so if it starts raining then people can draw the tarp fast.”

Quicksilver vanished for a second before returning “Done.”

“Thank you.”

The couple led the royal family through the busy courtyard to a half full trailer “They definitely work fast.”

They waited there for Maximus to bring the next generator. Auran seemed to be guiding the prince and another man as they moved the heavy machine, another pair following shortly after with another generator. Seeing the royal family, Auran left with the other three, giving Maximus space. He pulled a flashlight out of the trailer, which seemed to be oddly placed and weirdly shaped for a vehicle to tow. Maximus was giving Louise a strange look as Lincoln chuckled and she realized she'd said that aloud “There is a road but for the big stuff we air lift, courtesy of SHIELD. Daisy's part of an elite team under Deputy Director May.”

“I also lead a team of Enhanced, mostly Inhumans and a cyborg called Deathlok- I still call him Mike but Deathlok is way more intimidating than old Mike Peterson was. Anyway, Lincoln and I are going to rejoin the festivities.” The couple walked away.

Maximus turned on the flashlight and led them to a hole in the ground “I have to check some things.” He sat down on the edge and slid the rest of the way, shining his light at the walls “Go ahead, Medusa.”

She huffed but translated for Black Bolt, “Why didn't you tell us about the program?”

“I was a little busy taking care of the people who followed me here and making sure I wasn't in Attilan for Triton's return. Yes, I knew he was alive, he's an amphibious man who fell into a waterfall.”

“That is a good point,” said Karnak slowly before asking “How much did you have to do with the generator?”

“I asked Daisy to have someone check them then made suggestions to the engineer on how to fix the problem, which was the settlement being designed to handle a few dozen temporarily not a hundred or more permanently. Loyolis gave me the idea to involve children in the project, his only wish for his children's Terrigenesis was that it would go better than his and his wife's. He's been digging these tunnels to the specifications I got from that SHIELD engineer while planning the upgraded power system. If you want to keep talking, feel free to join me while I check the current infrastructure to make sure we're ready to bury.” They followed him in as he began moving on. “Crystal, if you wouldn't mind, please reinforce the walls as we go. We're surrounded by stone, one of the four primary elements.” She nodded, spreading her arms slightly and dragging her power along beside them.

Karnak asked “What are you looking for?”

“The holes have been dug but tomorrow, everyone will have a chance to bury it. For the children's sake, we've covered the holes so they'll feel like they buried it. I need to make sure the wires are secure and the tunnels stay stable, if they shift too close to the generators then we risk a fire among other things. We'll get a proper frame installed in case of an avalanche.”

“Is anyone else working on this with you?” asked Louise.

“I'm not checking the holes so much as the overall stability and the brackets, the actual placement of the generators was carefully selected.”

Crystal asked “What is your job here?”

Maximus sighed, “I'll show you, we'll be going through my work site anyway.” He made adjustments as they went. Shining a light straight up, he showed them a boarded hole above their heads “Digging for infrastructure, that's my job. We're going to start on plumbing this week to finish converting existing buildings.” After they were done, Maximus pulled himself out of a separate hole alongside with Karnak, both turning to help the others. Finally, he asked “Are you staying the night?”

“Just for tonight,” answered Medusa.

“Of course, Attilan still needs its king and queen.” Maximus said “I'll show you to the lodge.”

Crystal told her sister, “I'd like to stay and help with the tunnels. The faster they finish, the sooner everyone can have a home.”

"Daisy Johnson's in charge of assignments." Maximus led them to a room full of sleeping bags, “Most people are planning on camping out so we have the room to ourselves.” He turned off the flashlight and turned on the room's lights, making his way to one corner where a pair of duffel bags sat next to a double sleeping bag. The guests settled in for the night, turning the lights off.

The next morning, Maximus and Auran were gone with the sunrise. The rest of the Inhuman royal family woke up to the sounds of people at work. They wandered outside where the redhead from before was waiting for them, “Follow me to get some food. Daisy will meet you there.”

A woman identical to the redhead escorted the brunette in, merging with her twin “Maximus will be with us soon, he's securing a generator frame.”

Sharing a look with her sister, Crystal said, “Maximus told us you were in charge of assignments.”

“I am, my mother founded Lai Shi. Are you asking where you can help?”

“Yes.”

“I'm sorry but I don't know who you are.”

“Crystal-”

“-the elemental. We're starting plumbing this week, you could help with the waterworks and keeping the tunnels stable.”

Maximus joined them after a few minutes, “The generators are all set.” Auran was right behind her soulmate and made a beeline for the food.

“Things are moving pretty fast,” commented Medusa.

“People are motivated. The sooner we're all set, the sooner they can have a better life.”

The king and queen pulled the prince aside, “Crystal is going to stay, I want you to look out for her.”

“Will do,” he exchanged signs with Black Bolt before the brothers hugged. Auran made Maximus eat before the tour, knowing he was liable to forgo such things for the sake of the project.

Crystal enjoyed her stay on Earth. She finally got to use her powers freely, making the elements assist in the expansion efforts. With improved infrastructure, the real construction began. Using the wind, she helped flyers with roofing. She also caught supplies before they could fall and break or hurt someone. Quicksilver was fine with the arrangement, enjoying the freedom to visit anytime. The speedster even offered to transport Maximus to his tests but after the first time messed up their readings of his vitals, the offer was politely declined.

Months passed and Maximus developed the healthy lifestyle required by the program, everything was more or less controlled. He found out two weeks in advance that he was chosen, Hunter Cassidy told him “You can take tonight off if you burn the excess by next week.”

“Thank you.”

“Go on, celebrate.”

Maximus and Auran traveled through Eldrac to Attilan, fixing a communicator onto one of the adjacent walls with a neural receiver on Eldrac's wall. “What's this?”

“An engineer on Earth made a device called Cerebro to enable a telepath to find other people with gifts. This communicator uses technology based Cerebro.”

“A communicator?”

“Using thought to dial since you-”

“Since I can't physically do that anymore.”

“Yes. Would you mind testing it so that I can make adjustments if needed? Focus on calling your wife.” They both heard the woman's voice from the speakers fixed on the wall.

“Let me know if there are any problems, Eldrac. I'm going to find my brother.” He easily found the king and queen.

“We weren't expecting-”

He cut her off “I was chosen.”

A moment of silence passed before she understood “When?”

“Two weeks. Originally, I was only going to have one week's notice for the final tests but they changed that to allow time off.”

Black Bolt signed _To celebrate?_

Maximus nodded “All the doctors I've worked under on the project had to sign off. The first time is the most important because they might not get another chance.”

“So you report in next week?”

“Yes.”

“And you don't leave until?”

“After I'm injected, they're going to run the same tests for comparison.” Maximus explained “Only one person on the planet knows how to make the serum, there's a lot riding on this. The hope is that a successful super soldier can push science forward but Dr. Cassidy is worried about the formula being stolen. If someone takes my blood and tries to isolate the serum, the results could be catastrophic. One of the other candidates will likely be killed by a defective serum.”

“What's the goal?” asked Medusa, “Why is Dr. Cassidy doing this if she knows this will probably happen?”

“If the serum works, there will be a basis for comparison to Rogers' serum. Steve Rogers was suffering from a long list of ailments, now he's the epitome of human health. Imagine a cure to practically all ails. Dr. Cassidy wanted to forget all about Arcade but if she can take her experience at the hands of a very evil man and use it to save millions of lives, she will. At least, that's how her husband sees it. To protect the formula, only four people will be allowed close during the procedure. Hunter and Barbara Cassidy, Auran and me. Anyone else who is given clearance, will watch through a remote video uplink.” He handed his brother the packet he was given that day, “That explains the specifics of the plan.”

Auran said “I'm allowed in?”

“They specified soulmate in orientation.”

The extended royal family came together to celebrate. Medusa let her brother-in-law share the news “I was chosen for the serum. I'll be at the base next week for the final pre-serum tests.”

Quicksilver added “Y'know the powers that be wanted to disqualify you several times. First they said that your age couldn't be verified, Medusa countered that one. Then they argued you weren't a baseline, several gene tests disproved that. Unfortunately, they couldn't lie about your DNA while using it to your advantage. Earth Inhumans and moon Inhumans have different genetic structures before Terrigenesis, you may have lost the Inhuman genes but your genes don't match Earth baselines. Instead of agreeing, scientists requested more samples for comparison, luckily cloning is possible via Arcadian science. All in all, they did not want to allow you in the running but the biggest point in your favor is that you did undergo Terrigenesis, even if you got screwed, it shows adaptability.”

“How do you know so much about the program?” asked Louise.

“Because I put him in the running. I know as much as some of those world leaders trying to get their best soldiers enhanced. That reminds me, the program has had a very unforeseen impact.” Pietro smiled “Nobody wants their neighbor to have a super soldier so all the world leaders who put people in the running have signed a treaty merging their militaries into one, they have to figure out who has the best military and train the rest up but after that, they're calling it the Allied Forces, a united front against future threats from space. The reason you should care, even though none of those nations are getting the first modern super soldier, is because the UN wants Attilan's help with outer space defenses. Right now, they just want to set up coms and some scanners on the shield around the city, forewarned is forearmed. But since you have the only expedient way on and off the moon, not to mention bullets float in space just like everything else, they gotta go through you and negotiate.”

“Thank you for telling us.”

“Sorry to ruin the mood.” They sat down for dinner, conversation quickly bringing the mood back up.

Two weeks flew by as Attilan officially joined the United Nations, vague borders being drawn by astronomers under Karnak's direction. They hinted at Earth outposts, always careful to laugh it off. The day finally came, Magneto and Black Bolt played chess to distract themselves before the video uplink connected at the Avengers Compound. The first words they heard were Dr. Cassidy listing off logistics, such as the time and date, the location was bleeped on their end. She introduced the patient “Maximus Boltagon, age-” continuing as they came into view of the camera, Hunter approaching the padded chair from the other side to set up the instruments. Everyone was dressed in dark blue scrubs. Hunter lowered the armrests as Maximus removed his shirt so Dr. Cassidy could fix sensors to his chest. Finishing up her recitation, she instructed him to lay back. Hunter shared a look with his wife, “Leave the injector on his right side, Hunter.” She directed Auran over to Maximus' left as she moved to his right. She narrated for the camera “According to official records, both Steven Grant Rogers and Johann Schmidt were in great pain during their respective procedures.” Maximus consented one last time on record before Hunter set up an IV. “Rather than replicate Arcade's exact experiment, I have condensed the components.” Two needles went into the crook of his elbow, being taped in place.

Aside from Maximus himself, they were all required to wear microphones. Hunter leaned over, “You might want to hold onto something, mate.” Dr. Cassidy unclipped the IV lines, releasing the serums simultaneously into her patient's bloodstream. He hissed, gripping the armrest in his right hand and Auran's hand in his left.

At some point, he must've blacked out because he woke up without the needles in his arm. Hunter paged his wife to begin the post-injection tests. The first round of tests were all medical and followed by food being delivered. The camera was left on. All of the tests were performed in front of the camera, spaced evenly so that the last test before he was injected became the first test after.

With the test results finalized, they compared the super soldiers’ abilities. The next round of injections were being debated, each candidates’ merits were weighed against the set goals of future injections to determine the best subject for each variant. They all knew that being selected for anything except the first test would not make them a super soldier, they had signed waivers and spoken with Dr. Garner about the possibility to ensure understanding. Maximus knew that he would be required to give regular blood samples to further science’s understanding of his serum, he also knew he would be in the running for genetic splicing if he was not chosen for the super soldier serum. Auran had to give similar consent as his soulmate and thus, his immediate next of kin.


	2. Mission Prep

A week after the injection, Maximus joined the royal family at the United Nations wearing a black bodysuit similar to his brother's. Auran explained “They wanted to do a field test, they must be expecting trouble here.”

A Kree attack could definitely be defined as trouble. Conspiracy would fit a coordinated Kree attack targeting Inhumans better. Maximus was moving in moments, forcing the Kree to point their weapons safely toward the ceiling before ripping them out of their owner's hands and hitting them hard enough to cave in the aliens' chests, all while the extraterrestrials tried to kill him. He took off in the direction that the hostiles came from and immersed himself in the fray, subduing the blue men. Running back, he slowed only long enough to get Auran to turn around. “That was efficient,” said Karnak.

“I'm pretty sure I know who arranged this, there's a guy on the council-” Quicksilver struggled to find the right words “Let's just say he's of the opinion that mutants are only good as weapons. I can't imagine his views on Inhumans are any better, especially now that the origins of your species are on record. The way this guy talks and acts, I can see him spouting bullshit about making things the way they're supposed to be, getting rid of mutants' greatest allies would just be a bonus that way y'know.”

“I'm guessing he's not well connected.”

“No, he is.” They'd moved into their suite after Maximus rejoined them. “He's well connected enough that abusing his ability to summon the Avengers didn't get him kicked off the council but that doesn't matter because conspiring with alien conquerors is treason against the planet.” Pietro said “Good thing you're wearing proof you didn't attack without provocation.” Auran raised an eyebrow. “His suit's like mine, there's at least one camera embedded for much the same reason. Every Avenger wears one so that we can't be framed.”

Maximus facepalmed, “Do the Avengers have much to do with the program?”

“Well, yeah. Steve and Bruce both have a vested interest to see it succeed, the Hulk was created by a failed attempt.”

Maximus was required to give a blood sample after each use of his enhancements, to make sure the serum remained stable and see how it interacted with his system.

Soon after the attack, he and Auran were called into a meeting to discuss the implications of this attack. The human traitor had already been taken into custody, his replacement on the council appeared much more level headed. The two Inhumans were asked a series of pointed questions about the Kree, which pretty much proved this wasn’t over so long as Inhumans remained on Earth. Instead of insisting they move elsewhere, the council began debating the possibility of a military response. They decided that Auran had enough experience as security to the Royal Family to give her honorary military status, Maximus having earned his prior to the injection as part of the requirements to stay in the program. Together, they would head up the mission to take the fight to the invaders. However, the council stressed, this would be their decision. They were given until a warship could be constructed for interplanetary combat, the first in a fleet. Returning to the Royal Family, Maximus relayed this. Karnak said “So they want you and Auran to lead an offensive against the Kree?”

“Yes.”

“Neither one of you have a real military background, you’ll be leading a team that may not trust you.”

“I know.”

“How long do you have to decide?” asked Medusa.

“Until the ship we’re supposed to take is built.” Maximus said “I expect that the military will be moving their Enhanced personnel for specialized training since the team has to be small.”

“So they’ll train people for the job then let you pick?” surmised Gorgon.

“That is what we were told.”

Quicksilver said “It may be a double edged sword, especially since they can’t give you a real time table, but I say go for it.” At everyone’s looks, he elaborated, “If they do this without you and they fail then the press release will blame the Inhumans for inadequate intel or some other BS. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t so you might as well do and rack up some debts in the process. Just remember, when you’re choosing the team, you can set the terms. They chose both of you, even though only one of you has a military record. Make a condition that only Blanks or soul pairs can apply. This way you don’t have someone on the roster who will drop out at the last minute because they met their soulmate. This also saves resources if they’re not training anyone who doesn’t qualify. Maybe you should insist on training with them by saying that anyone can look good on paper but you’ll be in close quarters for a long time, insist that your fellow trainees not be made aware of your assignment. Pick people not positions.”

“You make it sound easy?” observed Gorgon.

“The Avengers Initiative took six strong personalities, threw them together and nearly destroyed the world.” He looked around “I did tell you all how I became an Avenger, right?”

“Your father stopped a killer robot and got them to vote on new members,” recalled Auran.

“Oh, right.” Quicksilver said “Before that, two SHIELD agents rescued me, my sister and a bunch of other mutant kids from a HYDRA base in Sokovia. Not three days before Father introduced us to the Avengers, they raided that same base and took an artifact, the scepter Loki had during the Chitauri Invasion. Even I could see the team was divided, everyone but Rogers was all for adding new members, sometimes it looked like he wanted to pull rank. The robot was the result of that turmoil being taken out on Tony. His worries of another alien invasion were brushed off, he was being bullied by half the team so he took matters into his own hands and created a program to control what was meant as a defense grid to block the next alien army before they could reach Earth. Using that program very loosely as a template, Ultron was born. His next rendition, Vision, was designed to be more adaptive, to learn from humanity so he could better protect humanity, a vision of a brighter future instead of the ultimate weapon against threats.”

“You have never told the full story before,” said Crystal.

“You try having a mind that moves at highway speeds then remember what you said to who.” Quicksilver said “Bruce Banner called it, from their first meeting, he called the Avengers a timebomb. My father used my sister and I to defuse the bomb. Sam Wilson is very good at balancing those strong personalities. You don’t want the original Avengers, you want Strike Team Delta, which is what Barton and Romanoff were in SHIELD.”

“Understood.”

“Don't let Enhanced be a requirement for soul pairs.”

Maximus reminded him “We have until a spaceship is constructed.”

“No. Leading the mission means running the ship.” Quicksilver said “The space race between the US and the Soviets lasted about 20 years or so. In a year, your choices will be accept the offer or keep giving blood for study.”

Taking Pietro's advice, Maximus and Auran accepted the offer on their terms. They spent months training for the mission with the rest of their potential teammates, giving weekly reports on their fellow cadets. Near the end of training, the roster was decided on and their teammates were informed of their places. The last week before the team went on leave until the mission was spent team building. Maximus read off roll, giving each person's position, then handed it off to “Commander Auran Boltagon.”

“As with all space missions, we will have to be self-sufficient. It's time we simulate that.” She led them to a bunker that was designed to match the layout of the ship, simulators taking the place of controls. The team worked on quickly donning spacesuits, navigating known dangers and cohesion for the whole week before they went their separate ways.

Maximus smiled and handed Louise a form, “What?” Her eyes widened as she read the release “Is this real?”

“Yes, the week before the launch, there will be a family day event. Traditional astronauts are invited to tour the first of the fleet along with their families and those of the crew. Just a bit of press before the launch.”

“How long is the mission?” asked Gorgon.

“We don't know.” Maximus said “We have to meet with the oversight committee to iron out the mission plan.”

“Do they have a name for it yet?” asked Louise.

“Talos. The team consists of us, a weapons specialist and three scientists. You’ll meet them if you get that form turned in on time.”

Family day was soon upon them, Maximus entered the access code to let the crew and their guests in the ship, leading the tour “The ship is based on the Guardians' Milano.” He stopped beside a crate “Each member of the crew has a protective suit but unlike typical astronauts, we do not need to wear the suits at all times.”

Cody Robertson, their weapons' specialist, opened the crate and lifted his nephew to look inside. “They don't look like normal spacesuits.”

“They're not,” Maximus said, “Protection is the priority. Through studying the Guardians, the design has been streamlined.” He picked up the helmet, “We don't want aliens to know where we're from and retaliate.”

One compartment held four bunks which folded into the wall and nearly disappeared from sight. Cody scanned his ID to open his bunk, “Once sealed, the bunks only open internally or via command override. I can open my bunk and in an emergency, our leader can open all of the bunks.”

“In a medical emergency,” Alice Robertson, their medical officer, said “The seal can protect against jostling.”

Arriving at the bridge, Auran assured her crew “The controls are locked,” as they gravitated towards their stations with their guests. Auran was on Maximus' right in the middle of the room. In front of them, the other stations formed a crescent. From left to right: Faith, Alice, Mark and Cody. The weapons station took up as much space as the two stations on the other side, Mark's station was somewhere between its neighbors in size, matching the stations behind it. Auran told the group “After the tour, we'll do a simulated launch at base.”

Louise asked “Is this the first time you've been in here?”

“Yes,” said Maximus shortly.

The common area was equipped with exercise machines, sitting areas with consoles between them so the crew could play games, and assigned computer terminals. Storage space for food and drink was found across the corridor. In the week leading up, they’d be given a chance to load files onto the cloud system for recreational use. Aside from a storage compartment near the bunks for personal items, all other compartments were off-limits.

Maximus fell to the back of the group, locking the ship after them. A Mission Specialist Educator met them at the base entrance, showing them to the cafeteria so that their guests could try astronaut food. “Now this is what normal astronauts eat. The crew with us today has been conditioned to handle alien food that's really hard to replicate.”

Auran told their guide “We're going to run a simulated mission after your tour.” The crew left their guests in the capable hands of their fellow astronaut for a briefing.

After the meeting, Maximus traded their IDs for their new mission uniforms. “We are officially done training. Ready for the launch?” They suited up and met the tour group in the simulator.

“Please hold onto the railing, this is a state of the art simulator.” Louise watched in amazement as the crew went over system checks and waited with mounting excitement for conditions to meet acceptable parameters before gripping the railing through the shaky take off. Their guide explained “This simulator mimics current conditions in real time. We've turned down the mechanisms since we're not all strapped in but all future astronauts will be required to pass tests in this simulator.”

Auran said “We're about to simulate a moon landing, brace.” The screen up front showed what they would see in space, providing a stunning view for their guests.

In the lobby, Maximus stopped in front of the group. He knelt in front of them, speaking to Cody’s nephew, Luke “Can I see your hand?” The boy nodded, reaching out. Maximus guided the boy’s hand to one of the straps on his suit “Feel the bumps?” Nod. “That’s Braille, it’s how we put our names on the suits.” He slowly ran the boy’s hand over the letters “M-A-X,” moved over to the next line “B-O-L-T. Max Bolt, short for Maximus Boltagon.”

Cody said “You can read Braille?”

Maximus smiled and nodded. Luke held up his arms for his Uncle Cody to pick him up so he could feel the Braille. On their way out the door, each guest was given packaged grey fatigues, like NASA personnel’s standard blues. Maximus told Louise, “We have to stay for the rest of the event. You’re welcome to as well, but the ship will be closed for the day and you already went on a tour of the base, the simulator's gonna see some mileage.”

“Right,” she felt the strap, “They really did put your names in Braille?”

“Yes, our full names.”

“I’ll see you back at home.”

The rest of the day was spent meeting other visitors and doing PR things. Halfway through the event, the Talos crew stood on a stage in front of the ship for a press conference. When all was said and done, there was enough footage circulating to drum up support for a whole fleet.

“In one week, we’ll be leaving Earth for God knows how long.” Auran said as they were heading home.

“Getting cold feet?” asked Maximus.

“No,” Auran said “Just starting to understand Louise a little better.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of our crewmates were getting cold feet. We still have several meetings before the launch.”

Family day made the mission much more worryingly real to their crewmates’ families but only served to excite the men and women themselves. They wore their fatigues to work everyday, getting comfortable with the feel of the material and helped load the supplies when they weren’t in meetings. For a team bonding exercise, Maximus and Auran arranged a movie night on base two nights before launch. The crew members’ whole families were invited to watch The Martian in an empty hangar along with whatever other movies they brought to play. Maximus closed and locked the hangar doors once everyone had arrived. “A lock-in, Captain?” teased Faith Stiles. Maximus merely smiled in response.


	3. Space

Faith Stiles specialized in chemistry, Mark Lucas in engineering, Alice Robertson in medicine but they received additional training to fill in the gaps. All three of the military officers were educated in the critical fields relevant to space travel but the science officers were their experts. Auran and Maximus could single-handedly fly the ship but the odds were stacked against them more so than usual on the first-of-its-kind space mission.

Movie night succeeded in easing nerves, making the launch a truly joyous occasion. Auran announced “We are clear of Earth’s gravity.” Mark responded accordingly as they began the long haul towards the Kree homeworld. The Nova were blocking future attacks but Earth needed to stand on its own if they were going to get anywhere diplomatically, thus the Talos mission was born. Mapping their course, they switched to automated flight. “Systems’ check.” Everyone reported smooth sailing and Cody volunteered for the first watch. “Alright, dismissed.” They went their separate ways, congregating in the recreational area.

The Milano-based design made for maximum efficiency, giving the crew much downtime between landings. Once they began making runs at Kree military posts, the scientists will have their hands full with studying alien tech as well as keeping the crew and ship going. For now, keeping watch as the ship flew itself was the most eventful job. Unfortunately for half the crew, only the military officers were trained to fly the ship solo in case of emergency.

In the common area, Maximus took a seat at one of the consoles and set up a chess game. Alice took the seat across from him to play. From one of the fitness machines, Mark asked the room “Did you hear they made a new super soldier?”

Maximus rolled his eyes, “We were all at the same press briefing you were, Lucas.”

“Yeah, well that got me thinking. I wonder who the super soldier’s supposed to be. Cause you, me and the Commander are Inhuman.”

“Two out of three, not bad.”

“Wait, you mean-” he looked over at the Captain.

“I’m the super soldier. I was born Inhuman, underwent a Terrigenesis ceremony like everybody else in Attilan and became human. Quicksilver arranged for me to move to Lai Shi and join Dr. Cassidy's super-soldier program.”

“Wow,” Mark asked “Are you still a prince?”

“Technically, although I haven’t lived in Attilan since Quicksilver made me the offer.”

“Where’s Crystal in the line of succession?”

“She is first in line, Medusa and Black Bolt share the throne. If either one dies, the other would remain monarch.”

“I thought only Medusa could translate Black Bolt’s signs.”

“That has been untrue for a long time. Quicksilver and I have both successfully taught ourselves the language. Why are you interested? You’re an Earth Inhuman, the workings of the Royal Family do not affect you.”

“Why are we called that? And to answer your question, I’m curious. Everything about Attilan is kept hush-hush.”

Auran said “The short answer is Attilan is on the moon.”

“Huh, I guess that makes sense.”

“Really?” asked Faith, “That makes sense?”

Maximus said “We have two ways to travel between Attilan and Lai Shi, the settlement here on Earth. The first is through Lockjaw, Crystal’s dog. The second is through an Inhuman named Eldrac, a living doorway. What’s to say our ancestors didn’t have similar gifts among them making an exodus from Earth possible.”

“True.”

Alice said “Check.”

Two moves later, Maximus said “Checkmate.”

Auran said “I’ve only met two people who can beat Maximus at chess, Quicksilver who thinks at superspeed and Karnak who has a gift for seeing the fault in everything.”

“You could’ve warned me.”

Maximus suggested “Perhaps you could teach me poker.”

The whole room turned to him in surprise as Auran moved to another console, this one set up for team gaming. “I wouldn’t mind learning, this console should have some form of it loaded.”

Mark offered “I'll teach you.” Faith went back to reading her e-book and Alice joined her at the terminals.

* * *

Maximus was on duty when they reached their first checkpoint. He switched to manual to provide their authorization codes, provided by the Nova Corps for interstellar exploration. The codes made them appear to be a peaceful vessel. At the first outpost, they'd switch codes with a proper warship. Due to circumstances, Maximus was directed to such an outpost. He put out an alert to the team, sending his fellow military officers to their bunks while the scientists went to their workspaces. Upon arrival, he personally greeted the Kree inspector wearing his armored uniform. The helmet's material made his voice sound different. In shaky Kree, he asked “What seems to be the problem?”

“Remove your helmet.”

“I cannot.”

“Remove your helmet.”

“Not safe.”

The inspector accepted this excuse, keeping an eye on Maximus as he asked “Where is your crew?”

“I don't think we need them for this.” The Kree moved to strike him but he backed away, “What is the problem?”

“Where are you going?”

“All I know is we are on an exploratory mission.”

“From what planet?”

“Mars.”

“Mars?” The inspector asked “Where is that?”

“We are the first space travelers, we were a part of the Nova Corps' effort to block Thanos.” For good measure, he occasionally reverted to Terran languages other than English and Russian.

When his men could not breach the doors behind Maximus, the inspector had the stranger taken away. The ship finished mapping the base during the conversation and transmitted the layout to the interface in Maximus' helmet, which is the reason for its opaque exterior. He was shoved into a cell and left there. His super soldier hearing was not hindered by the helmet, he could hear his escorts walk away. He waited for their steps to fade then counted out eighteen hundred seconds, half an hour. When no approach was forthcoming, he looked around the cell from his braced position against a wall. In a burst of speed, he took out recording devices and slammed into the door to break out. Running through the base, he took out every soldier he could find. For funds, the team was instructed to take from the Kree since Earthly currency is useless. Disabling the cameras ASAP, he took his time stealing military codes and transferring credits from the deceased, framing those off-base as traitors. With the cameras down, Mark and Faith were escorted to collect materials as well as valuables from the compound. They all returned to the ship at the same time. Maximus updated their codes prior to launch, setting off the Kree's own explosives as they left.

Cody Robertson was at his station when Maximus returned to pilot the ship. Together, they stranded many Kree ships on their first pass around the planet. Using their second pass to find the automated ships with little to no living personnel for plundering and destroying the troop carriers, they left civilian ships alone. Luckily for everyone involved, the first outpost had no children within its walls making it an easy target. From the first outpost, they moved quickly to eliminate the Kree military in the surrounding area.

Upon securing a sizable sector to rest in, the whole team began working on their reports. The protocol drilled into them during training demanded that they fill out reports once safe automated flight was established. Inventory was also a requirement between runs to ensure they do not accidentally endanger the whole crew. Mark ensured any alien tech they picked up is disabled while Faith checked all foreign substances for toxic elements. They switched places to run the same tests on the other’s collection, securely locking them away in the proper compartment. Further testing would have to wait until the military officers completed their work. The first leg of the mission consisted of a series of raids to decimate Kree defenses followed by a tactical retreat into Nova space, using their original codes to bypass the blockade.

Through Maximus’ manipulation of monetary records, the Kree became convinced they had an infestation of traitors. As planned, the distraction enabled them to slip out undetected. Landing on an uninhabited moon in Corps space, they took the time to go through their haul more thoroughly. Maximus and Auran had extra reports to file, as the primary combative agent and the mission leader respectively.

Instead of trying to use Earth’s calendar, their schedules were regulated by a counter, using the time between events to regulate the time of events. The counter was set to alert them to a year’s passing, at which time they could take time off the mission to celebrate important dates that had passed since launch such as birthdays and holidays. The bunks could not be opened from the inside if the occupant was sleep deprived, alerts throughout the day told them when to eat and reminded them when the end of the day’s cycle was nearing.

Leaving the bridge, Maximus reported to the infirmary for his required exam and blood draws. Alice asked, “Just to refresh my memory, for the record, what species are you?”

“Human mutate, serum enhanced.”

“Serum-” Alice said “Right, you shared that while we were playing chess. That explains why you’ve been insisting on blood draws while in transit. You’re contractually required, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

She ran the tests, taking a few extra vials of blood and placing them in a special lockbox. “You’re all set. Send Faith in next, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He did as asked, taking a seat at his terminal to submit his daily video journal entry and read. The chemist would record the medic’s tests, which meant she was supposed to go first but Maximus seemed to be the only one to remember the compulsory medical exam. Auran came in as Mark was leaving, making her husband Cody the last patient Alice would test. One sample from every blood draw was saved for scientists on Earth to study following the completion of the mission.

The Nova had no knowledge of the first attack, giving them plausible deniability for all of the attacks. The Kree scrambled angrily, calling all personnel to the homeworld, Hala. They were sure the Nova had some part in this resurgence but they had no proof. What few images survived the attacks showed a ship that did not appear to be of any known model. However, they would not put it past either the Nova or the Skrulls, wherever they may lurk, to use underhanded methods to achieve their goal. When the Talos crew moved onto Xandar to meet with the Nova, they were led to an office and asked point blank “Did you attack the Kree?”

Maximus answered honestly “Our codes only allow us access to Nova space for an exploratory mission, we have not deviated from mission parameters.” The stolen tech and weapons had been dissected beyond recognition.

“Did you attack the Kree, yes or no?” repeated Denarian Dey.

“No,” answered Auran. “I can say with full honesty that I had no part in any attacks on the Kree. The only way the Kree would be in any danger from Terrans, as the Guardians claim you call us, is if they were to get past your blockade. We have a much better planetary defense system than we did just a few years ago, thanks to preparations made for Thanos’ attack.”

“Okay,” Dey said “It’s just, you came in at a weird angle.”

Cody said “I gave the computer bad directions, this is the first Terran mission past our moon as far as I’m aware. Boltagon had to reroute us away from Kree space, not that we can tell the difference as well as your people would, being our first long distance mission.”

“Understood.” Dey asked “What are you here for?”

“We have a pre-scheduled check in, don’t we?” Maximus said “We’re supposed to check in with the Nova at set times so you can get word back that we’re still alive. If we don’t have experience this far out, you can’t expect our communication tech to reach this far.”

“Right, I forgot. The Kree are convinced we’re behind this.”

“Why?” asked Faith.

Mark answered “Because our planet has a reputation for being primitive. The Kree probably forgot all about us with this blockade.”

“Exactly,” agreed Dey. Something occurred to him “Terra does have a reputation for being tech impaired and you just confirmed it.”

“Thank you, Denarian,” said Commander Boltagon sarcastically.

“No, I’m just thinking about your ship.”

Maximus asked “What about it? Do you think our ship could be useful in investigating these accusations?”

“That and I was thinking it is pretty nice for a primitive planet.”

“Our scientists studied the Guardians’ Milano,” explained Auran. “Rocket even taught them a few things, insulting them every step of the way but still teaching them plenty.”

“Okay,” drawled the officer. “On the other hand, how would you feel about doing a little recon for us?”

“We don’t have funds for this mission, since Terra’s so isolated. Maybe we could call this a job.”

“I’ll run the idea by Nova Prime, what message are we supposed to send to Terra?”

“Simply that the full crew made their first check in, I’m starting to suspect that Earth failed to inform the Nova of our plan.”

“Right. Wait here.”

Denarian Dey conferred with Nova Prime. She was initially unconvinced that the Terrans were innocent until he told her that they came on their own. The plan was eventually approved after some debate and their ship was outfitted with Nova Corps com systems, even setting up their account to transfer the credits for the job. They swiftly moved onto preserving their cover, taking a very roundabout route to the edge of the blockade. Mark confirmed the Nova could not see through their system, enabling them to scan the planet for a weak spot and call it in. They withdrew as Kree warships converged on the perceived weakness.

The Nova shared the observation that breaking ranks as such could jeopardize the overall grid. While they were scrambling even more, the Talos crew found a place to set down and fill out reports as they waited for the Kree to irrationally initiate an attack on the Nova, opening up the planet for a full on invasion. They had just finished the reports when warships raced overhead, prompting them to carefully launch. Leaving the bridge, Max and Cody donned their protective armor. They were the same except for one key difference, the specialist had several weapons on his person making him appear more bulky. Their earpieces negated the need for a translator, as Max spoke fluent Kree.

In a fly-by maneuver, they dropped planetside. Captain Boltagon immediately moved towards the nearest military base, Robertson was close on his six. They slipped into the base undetected and engaged the cloaking on their suits, heading for the central command center. A virus in the system planted using the outposts’ transmission signals was set off, shutting down communication as the two operatives opened fire on the room. Robertson held the lone survivor at gunpoint while Boltagon demanded he summon reinforcements, making the soldiers come to them until there were no more. The young man relaxed minutely when Boltagon backed away from him, the relief was short-lived like the young man. Tossing the gun he’d taken off a dead Kree to Robertson, the captain got to work on the computers to siphon funds while wrecking most key systems.

They hurried off base to catch public transport, banking on civilians mistaking them for their military. Their helmet displays gave directions to the bases, they had to fly under the radar to make use of them. Robertson was impressed by his CO's skills in navigating the back streets and alleyways of Hala. Nearing each base, he swiftly sidestepped behind cover while scanning the target, forcing his partner to pay attention to their every move. The ship would notify them when the Kree began returning from Nova border, picking them up before the enemy could raise their defenses again. Mark Lucas was manning the weapons for stealth attacks on the few border posts remaining.


	4. Downtime

Following the first ground assault, Cody high fived Maximus as they boarded the ship. They reported to Dr. Stiles' lab to check for dangerous elements on their suits. For safety purposes, the science officers each had their own workspaces and storage compartments. Reporting to the bridge after changing out of his suit as part of the decontamination protocol, Maximus briefed Auran and took his seat to fill out the required post-op forms. In order to continue their work, the Talos crew would return to Xandar to report on their recon mission then travel to various peaceful worlds to perform the tasks assigned to the crew of an exploratory vessel. Maximus would take the time to learn the native tongues while the science officers would perform their usual duties. The decimation of the Kree military was their primary purpose but astronauts were explorers by definition, which worked well for maintaining a good relationship with the Nova.

While in orbit around a peaceful planet under the Corps’ protection, Mark walked up to the 3-in-1 exercise machine Maximus was on to ask “Why are you on this mission? You’re a prince, your people live on the moon. Is it required for you to be a super soldier?”

“When they came to Earth prior to this mission, the Kree were targeting Inhumans. Our species is nothing more than a failed experiment to them. The question is why do non-Inhumans care about killing Kree.”

“They weren’t attacking Earth?”

“No but you would be in danger, as you are Inhuman.” Maximus reminded him, “You told me when you asked why your people were called Earth Inhumans.”

“Right.” Mark asked “Did I tell you what my gift is?”

“No.”

“But you read my file?”

“Yes but only to find your specialty, name and marital status.”

“Okay.” Mark said “Well, if not for your family, I’d be in prison or dead.”

“You could not control your gifts the moment you completed Terrigenesis then.”

“You know an awful lot about Earth for someone who grew up on the moon.”

“I had to pass several exams to earn my keep in the program. They required, among other things, a diploma and certification from an accredited military academy, I suppose my rank should be Lieutenant not Captain. Either way, Auran is in charge.”

“You know Commander is the rank below Captain.”

“In the Navy, I completed the exams to graduate from the Army’s command school. The first rank out of the Naval Academy is Ensign not Lieutenant.”

“Oh, right.”

“Are you in the Navy?”

“No. I’m on the Asset Register. That’s probably how they got so many people to come for training.”

“Asset Register?”

“It’s a list of people with powers, who agreed to help in case of an invasion.”

“What is your gift?”

“You know how Earth has a magnetic field?”

“Yes.”

“So do I. After Terrigenesis, anything metal around me seemed to break. I collapsed part of my apartment building and caused a few accidents. When cops tried to cuff me, which I was all for because I didn’t want to kill anyone, the cuffs broke. They hit me over the head with a nightstick to knock me out and shipped me to SHIELD. I woke up in a containment cell. Then when this agent came in to talk to me, their pen flew towards me and hit my hand. Their watch also seemed drawn to me before they left. I’m sure the watch was wrecked but hey, at least now I know it’s just metal, I’m not wrecking everything around me. It took awhile before I could even open a door or use a pen, much less get back to work as an engineer. Once I could control it, at least enough to walk down the street and not worry about wrecking stuff, I chose to go back to my life. While they were helping me get control, they had me see a psychologist and did a bunch of intake questions, which I later learned was for the Gifted Index. My boss was cool with the whole Inhuman thing, our company is pro-mutant. Anyway, I taught myself to do the kind of things Magneto can do, which speeds things up at work. Then people came asking where I stood on the invasion thing, putting together the Asset Register.”

“You’re metallo-kinetic.”

“No, I’m not. Magneto can manipulate magnetic fields, I can only manipulate the one I generate. I suggested, after our first exercise in the bunker, that they change the bunks to be more like the containment cells at SHIELD so that if someone is distressed, they don’t kill everybody on the ship with out of control powers.”

“Interesting.” Maximus asked “Why were you so sure that your boss would take you back after Terrigenesis?”

“Like I said, the company’s pro-mutant, I figured that applied to all powered people.” Mark said “I know there are countries where people with powers are forced into government service. I’m sure you haven’t noticed but this team is mostly American.”

“Auran and I trained alongside the team to ensure a good dynamic, rather than let the mission’s sponsor assemble a team based on statistics.”

“That makes sense, so you were always gonna be the boss.”

“Following the Kree attacks, the council which governs planetary defense summoned us to answer questions about the enemy, thus this mission was born. We could have turned down the offer to lead this mission.”

“Why didn’t you?” asked Mark, climbing onto the machine next to Maximus and entering his own code to unlock it.

“Various reasons. Were we to turn it down and without us, the mission failed then we would be the humans’ scapegoat. Our involvement may help the mutant and Inhuman causes.” Maximus smiled “Louise, my cousin’s soulmate, her father was a scientist in the American space race. He spent his life trying to earn a place on the moon landing but NASA ultimately chose pilots over scientists. We had plenty of reasons to say yes.”

“I guess I should be thankful for that. If the government chose, they’d choose from their people and a civilian like me would have no chance.”

“In Attilan, people are given a place based on their gifts. Those with lesser gifts are sent to the mines. As one without any gifts, that should have been my fate as well but as one born into the Royal Family, I had the protection of the king.”

“So you lucked out?”

“Yes,” he did not like to discuss Attilan due to what ended his stay there.

“Do you even need to exercise with the serum?”

“I don’t know. My serum is not a match for Erskine’s formula so the research done on Steve Rogers does not apply to me. I do know that I can go longer without food, water or sleep.”

“How much longer?”

“That remains to be seen.” Mark raised an eyebrow. “I honestly don’t know. The tests performed after I was injected were engineered to find my limits in the best circumstances. Everything was highly regulated. I only went slightly past the human limit on necessities to see if I could before moving on to other tests.”

“I’m sure scientists want to know how far past human limits you can go.”

“Did you read the mission plan?”

“Yes, of course I read it. We probably got different briefings.”

“Oh.” Maximus said “When we head back to Earth, that’s when I am going to test my limits.”

“Really? I thought space messed with the body.”

“Did you know that every time we get our blood drawn, Dr. Robertson takes an extra vial for NASA?”

“I’ve seen her do it,” said Mark. A beat passed, “So they can use that to compare before and after?”

“Exactly.”

“Why do we have to report to her when we don’t take part in the mission?”

“Would you rather report to her every seven days or by some other set time frame?”

“No.”  
“The tests she’s doing will help prepare people for intergalactic travel. We know some of the effects of space on the human body but we don’t know if different parts of space affect us differently.”

“None of us are baselines.”

“By design.”

“Do you mean your design or the UN’s?”

“Both. I’m sure you can see politicians scapegoating the Enhanced because a baseline died on a dangerous mission that someone with powers might be able to survive.”

“Yeah, I can see it. I’m just saying, it’s apples to oranges.”

“If they really want to be picky, they can treat the mutant samples with an X-gene suppressant.”

“Right.” 

They lapsed into silence until Maximus asked “Ready for the game tonight? I think Auran is getting the hang of poker.”

“You caught on quick,” said Mark. “I think I’ll leave that to you guys.”

“Have you kept up with your video diary?”

“Seriously, man?”

“The videos are part of the file your family will receive should you die.”

“Oh.” Mark said “No but I’ve kept a written journal.”

“All written materials are classified.”

“What if I read them?”

“That will look suspicious. Record a longer message today, recap the journey so far and begin anew.”

“Good idea.” He turned to leave the machine.

“Wait,” Maximus looked beside him, “Turn the machine off before you leave it, we don’t want to waste power.”

“Right.”

While the two soul pairs played poker, their colleagues played checkers on a smaller console. Mark told Faith about his Terrigenesis and she returned the favor with a story about how her chlorokinesis made her the team botanist. Cody asked Auran “What’s your gift? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“I don’t stay dead. When I die, I always come back to life.”

“Really?” asked Alice, “The implications,”

“I know. Louise, our cousin’s soulmate who took the tour with your nephew, had the same reaction when I told her. I know all about the scientific implications. In Attilan, your gift determines your place. My gift made me perfect for the royal guard.”

“So you would die in their place,” clarified Cody, “And I thought some human societies treated the Enhanced bad.”

“That’s why so many of our people moved to Lai Shi, to escape the caste system.”

Maximus said “Ironically, the exodus caused such a population shift that Medusa was able to enact the change she and Black Bolt intended to, the change her parents died trying to bring about.”

“In other words, the end of the caste system.” Auran said “I don’t buy it.”

“They tore down the lower caste housing,” Maximus reminded “People from all castes left Attilan. You and I were from higher castes due to our association with the royal family, Iridia and Bronaja were from the lower caste due to their parents’ Terrigenesis.”

“Most people were from the lower castes,” corrected Auran.

“True but there has been immigration both ways since Lai Shi became a proper city.”

“Really?” asked Cody.

“Some Earth Inhumans can’t stand non-Inhumans and Attilan maintains a strict policy against foreign humans,” explained Maximus. “You call him Hellfire, I believe, he is like the Inhuman version of Pyro.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cody said “I know who you’re talking about.”

Mark added “He flunked the psych eval for the Index. Medusa made a speech welcoming all Inhumans to Attilan, she and Black Bolt signed a bunch of custody transfers to take Inhumans they thought were being unlawfully imprisoned. Where Hellfire went, his soulmate went, even though he annoys the Hala out of her.”

“You’re still trying to start that?” responded Faith.

“What? Slurring the enemy race is normal propaganda.”

“There won’t be any propaganda until we get back,” said Auran.

“Well, if we’re gonna remember the races who have passed, I hope we remember the Kree poorly.”

“I’d drink to that if we had booze,” said Cody.

Mark realized something “Who’s on watch?”

“No one, we’re locked in orbit in Nova space. We only need a lookout when we’re going somewhere.”

Alice asked Maximus “What were you going to say about Hellfire?”

“Just that he’s a prime example. Immigrants are treated like any other citizen, which is why they don’t have a huge immigration problem.”

“They?”

“We live in Lai Shi not Attilan.”

“Right.”


	5. Reports

"We have gathered much needed rations, posing as peaceful explorers has given us the means to do so without spending any credits. On Earth, I expect the Nova Corps will be assisting the United Nations in opening lines of communication with other planets, thus giving Terra entry onto the world stage. We will begin the diplomatic portion of our mission shortly, building alliances to avoid dependence on the Nova Corps. The last thing we want is to become indebted to the Nova to such an extent as to lose the independence we are fighting for. As of," Maximus read off the counted time on another terminal screen, "We are in a prime position to finish the mission under the five year mark, as noted by 157,680,000 counts, but anything can happen." Ending the video, he returned to the bridge.

Auran said "Alice, your video log is next."

Mark navigated and Cody kept watch as they moved out of the protected space. Their first meeting was with the Skrulls, who inhabited a dwarf planet. The military officers took up positions around the alien council. Auran attempted the Skrull native tongue, Talos said "We can speak your language."

The Commander looked at the Captain, who spoke in flawless Skrull. After a brief back and forth, Talos nodded. He turned to Auran "You are to escort us deeper into Nova space?"

"Yes. Where is your ship?"

"You are standing in it. The ship's cloaking is always engaged."

"Understood. We can take you to the edge but the Nova cannot know of our military capabilities."

"Agreed."

Towards the end of the day's cycle, Dr. Alice Robertson sat down in front of her terminal to report "The team has kept up positive dynamics. Maximus is teaching us the Kree language for the next portion of the mission. We are currently escorting Skrull refugees to Nova space, specifically an abandoned planet we have found that meets the habitation requirements set forth by Captain Marvel. It is currently," she read from the counter, "We have completed the first primary run without injury or casualty. I have concerns about the upcoming militant portion of the mission and its effects on crew reintegration but we will cross that bridge when we get there. At the moment, I have no indication of such issues taking root."

Since Maximus went first, Auran would go last. Twice in a day's cycle, a crew member delivered a verbal report on video. Mark volunteered to go first the next day, with Faith taking the second slot to share scientific findings. Their ship stopped near the border between Nova guarded space and outlaw space. The Skrulls thanked them for fending off the occasional attack as they split off.

In her report, Auran said "The Kree have quite a conflicting reputation. They are known to be fierce warriors who view themselves as merciful, we have recorded the testimony of our extraterrestrial contacts for future use. Having escorted the Skrull survivors into Nova space, we will begin the most perilous part of the mission. Hunting down Kree agents outside their native space sector. We have learned that one of the concerns previously considered, that pink Kree would be able to blend in with other races, is a non-issue. However, this discovery will influence our future actions as we continue with our subterfuge. All of the crew has demonstrated a mastery of the Kree language to varying levels. I am aware of concerns that abandoning Earth languages for the remainder of the mission may affect reintegration, I share these concerns but we cannot afford to be caught now that we must commit. The current estimate is less than a month Earth time before we cease to speak our native tongue. As of," she read the counter, "Slip ups have begun to accumulate." They were required to state the time within the report.


	6. Offensive Action

Traveling into outlaw space, they used pilfered files to track down the agents who were not recalled to Hala. Auran chose to send Mark in as Maximus’ partner on their first stop. The Inhuman could be found on the exercise machines when not at his work stations, leading to an intimidating stature. The first thing they saw upon entering the bar was a fight cage. Ignoring the bartender heckling them in some garbled language, the pair approached the cage. A pair of Kree Reapers stood as they approached, “Off-limits!”

Speaking loud enough to be heard by the room, Mark said “I will bet two thousand credits that my partner can kill both of you in unarmed combat, in the cage.” Seeing the big guy bet on the little guy beating two Kree warriors drew the whole bar’s attention.

The Reapers shared a look before accepting the wager, each putting a thousand credits of their own on the line while the mechanic put two thousand down. The bar was a flurry of activity as patrons placed their bets. Entering the forcefield cage, Maximus ran to the other side as the Kree followed him, leaving their weapons on their table. The bartender yelled something and the fight began. The super soldier ducked shots and danced around his opponents, running numbers in his head to find a way to make the pair hit each other. The bar found his act amusing while his partner found amusement in their arrogance. Nobody challenged the Kree unprepared, even Terrans knew that. Maximus let their shots get closer to get more force behind the attacks then shot between them, ducking under their jabs at the last moment and popping up just in time to provide a little push to make their falls fatal. Someone ran into the ring and checked the Reapers before declaring the challenger victorious.

They spent a few hours collecting bets and disguising the fight as a ploy to prove themselves as they gathered information on their targets. Maximus fought most opponents outright to make the Kree fight look fair. Returning to the ship, they mapped a course for the other agents and funneled their winnings to make them hard to trace. Auran was on watch that night, having slept while her husband was on-world. Before they left the bar, Maximus let their next destination slip, creating a timetable.

In repeating the process, they cleared outlaw space of Kree agents and induced paranoia throughout the empire. “By this time, I have developed something of a reputation.” Maximus recorded, “The name I have been given roughly translates to Black Death. If Drax the Destroyer is any indication then I should be honored. We have taken care not to use names in the field to improve the odds that our work will be blamed on corruption. We have been off-world for,” he paused to do the math, “almost three annual cycles. I continue to believe that we will complete the mission within five to ten cycles.” He paused the recording to debate his next move. Resuming the recording, he read off the time and ended with “The greatest challenge at the moment is translating the contents of audio files to Kree, our primary spoken language at this point in time.”

Ending the report, he began a new video “The Skrulls have agreed to pass along messages to our family but I fear there may be some interference in the name of science. The mission is shaping up to be five to ten years long. Mark Lucas, our engineer, is Inhuman and he might be more dangerous than Black Bolt. He says he generates a natural magnetic field, like the planet itself. You can check his file on the Asset Register, his story is quite interesting. The crew has taught Auran and myself how to play poker, an accomplishment they soon came to regret, at least where I’m concerned. I don’t know what to say.” As he spoke, he made signs for Black Bolt and Medusa. “This may be one way communication but if that’s the case, then please tell the other families the crew is all in good health. That’s all for now.” He ended the video and sent it to the Skrulls, addressed for King Black Bolt and Queen Medusa of Attilan. The hidden message was harmless, simple pleasantries and well wishes, but they served as a test to see if the video made it to the intended recipient.

Returning to the bridge, he said, “We need a next move. Hala is too far away and we’ve yet to sufficiently weaken their defenses. Another run at this time would be ill advised.”

Auran agreed “But we can’t keep drifting.”

Mark spoke up “The Kree are like the Nova, right?”

“In what way?” asked Auran.

“They take prisoners and patrol space both inside and outside their territory?”

“I suppose. Are you suggesting we hit one of their prisons? The Nova would intervene if they were in violation of the treaty.”

Maximus added, “The Nova Corps is not just the Xandarians, the Kree also employ non-natives in their prisons.”

“We need to find Yon-Rogg,” declared Cody, “He was Captain Marvel’s CO, maybe even both Marvels’.”

Maximus argued “He also brought about the empire’s downfall by not executing Vers.”

“I know, I was in the same Kree history class you were in.”

“That class was based on information I provided.”

“Right, right.” Cody said “But based on Danvers’ reports, Yon-Rogg would not be executed because the shame of living would be a greater punishment. I mean, yeah he was the leader of the Starjammers’ crew but what was really left of them after Danvers unlocked her full power.”

“We have no way of tracking down Yon-Rogg. His punishment most likely includes a degree of isolation, if he is alive at all.”

“We have a very good way of tracking him down. The Nova and Skrulls probably both keep an eye on the Kree’s movements.”

“To get that information, we’ll have to fake a Kree attack and bank on the Nova not knowing about our activities,” argued Mark.

“No, we won’t.” Maximus said “They’ve already given us a way in. Auran, if you wouldn’t mind.” She took over steering as he moved to Mark’s station, where the Nova com system was installed. Minutes passed, the crew realized what he was doing and rolled their eyes. “Done.”

“Code-”

“Got it,” Cody took over controls as Auran moved to the console.

“The Nova Corps’ file on Commander Yon-Rogg,” presented Maximus, to the science officer’s amazement.

Faith asked “Captain, was your IQ ever recorded?”

“Yes, the program required a lot of tests.”

“How did you do?”

“I don’t know.”

She turned to stare at him, “What?”

“The tests were about providing a basis of comparison.”

“Oh.”

Maximus reminded her “All of our IQs were recorded in training as part of the mental capacity study.”

“Right, and they wouldn’t tell us the results because they didn’t want to taint the test when we return.”

“Much like in the program, I only knew if I passed each round of testing.”

“How did that work?”

“How did what work?”

“The tests, with you being from the moon.”

“I was given required reading materials that others were not. In addition, I believe I may have been the subject of more testing to study the various effects my rather unique upbringing had. I come from a society that places a high value on Inhuman gifts, so much so that people are defined by their Terrigenesis, while the other candidates come from a society that places a high value on human gifts, so much so that people with non-human traits suffer discrimination. The scientists in the program were very interested in that.”

“I can see why.”

Cody asked “Did it ever occur to you that you might have been chosen because scientists were so fascinated by the difference?”

“I am well aware of the role that may have played.” Maximus said, “In fact, the program suffered greatly for choosing me. Hunter Cassidy has stated his belief that Abraham Erskine may have chosen Steve Rogers because he identified with the man. After all, Erskine was forced to make the serum that turned a Nazi officer into the Red Skull. His value to the Reich was not, however, enough to save his family. The argument is quite easy to make, but to an outsider, Dr. Cassidy’s husband may as well have said, ‘we would not have chosen Captain America because that was a mistake’.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Not that it matters, the program was shut down a few months after I was injected because stolen blood had been used to turn men into monsters. Dr. Cassidy was all for studying the effects but she didn’t want to just make super soldiers, she saw greater potential.”

“What greater potential?” asked Cody. “Not that I disagree but what are you talking about?”

“I cannot get sick.”

“What?” both Faith and Cody exclaimed.

“They injected me with samples of various diseases and I only briefly presented symptoms for the most aggressive. If you could isolate that, you would have a cure to all ails. The first step to isolating the components is making sure the serum works as a whole.”

“How could they do that?”

“By taking my blood after I use my gifts, they thought they could find the source. If I run fast then give my blood before my heart rate slows, maybe they can find the source of my speed. Once they have a lead, compare my results to Steve Rogers, there you have it. The other finalists, if you will, would have been given the variants based on the results of these tests.”

“You make it sound simple,” argued Alice.

“Yes, well, simple doesn’t mean easy.”

“Good point. The program wasn’t shut down.”

“How often do you get a chance to run all the tests they should’ve run on Rogers back in the 40s using 21st century technology? The program is shut down in the sense that they’re not going to inject anyone else for a long time.”

“As interesting as that is, the translator’s not working on the whole file,” said Mark.

Maximus returned to the engineer’s station, “Do you want a translation or his current location?”

“His location.” When her husband began typing, Auran had to ask “What are you doing?”

“Undoing the translations to put the file in a single language.” Moments later, he highlighted a specific portion, copied it and pulled out of the database, restoring the station to its previous state, with Nova coms and Terra software. He pasted the excerpt into a word processor. Below the alien script, he typed out a translation, along with a note as to the entry’s age. “Delete the file when you’re done.” He returned to his station to strap in.

Mark said “Give me a few minutes and I’ll have a location mapped out.”

They flew to the edge of known space, according to their navigator, where they found a compact patrol vessel. They stopped just out of range, giving Max a chance to change into his spacesuit before edging towards the ship. Yon-Rogg was so distracted by his attempts to hail them that the Kree didn’t notice the intruder until an arm was wrapped around his neck and another hand disabled various systems. Docking on their ship, the Captain stripped his prisoner to ensure there were no weapons. He let the once proud commander redress before escorting him to the bridge.

Forcing him to his knees, Maximus stood over the Kree as Auran made a show of approaching the prisoner and Cody turned around to face him, weapons on full display. “Yon-Rogg, former commander of the elite Starjammers. You’re going to tell us how to take down the military.”

“Never,” denied Yon-Rogg.

Auran glanced back and Cody nodded, moving to manually cut them off from the others.“You misunderstand, we will ravage the military regardless. We already took out all of the Kree outposts surrounding Hala, several bases on your homeworld itself and every other agent beyond the sector.” She drew her weapon and aimed it at his head “A quick death is a mercy, as you know.” The truth worked much better than threats at breaking men like Rogg. Her men stood by impassively, Maximus committing every word to memory.

When they were done, the super soldier lifted the alien up by the neck one-handed, squeezed once and let go, choosing to make a transcript before taking care of the corpse. Disposing of the dead was simple, burning stars and black holes were plentiful enough for the job but the Talos crew didn’t care if they were found. The patrol ship was stripped of anything useful while the pilot was spilling state secrets. Maximus returned their prisoner to his station, releasing the ship from their dock. Auran summoned the crew to the bridge as they left the sector “Yon-Rogg reported new Inhuman experiments.”

“Why would they let an exile know about that?” asked Faith.

“Propaganda is not spread through the commanders but through the foot soldiers.” Maximus said “However, there may be some truth to this. Be grateful we were sent with regular uniforms and fatigues lest the Nova become wise to our deception.”

“I think they know,” Mark said “They would have to be really stupid not to realize that our scouting mission lined up perfectly with the attacks on Hala.”

“The Kree went to war with the Nova, I highly doubt they are colluding against us.”

In response to her husband’s remark, Auran asked “What’s the saying? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

Cody said “I think the Nova might turn a blind eye to us, they do it for the Guardians all the time.”

“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. We need to comb through-”

“Done.”

“You took Yon-Rogg to his ship, how did-” Auran shook her head “Nevermind. What do we have?”

“Everything we need.” He transferred excerpts to the other stations. “To answer your question, I ran a filter program while I took care of the disgraced commander.”

“Mark, what do you make of this?”

“If we could set down somewhere, I could integrate the tech we picked up. Better safe than sorry.”

“Right.”

They found a barren rock in, “Commander, check this out.” 

Auran moved to stand behind Cody “This was Thanos’ territory?”

“Apparently.”

“Suit up and get out there, the Mad Titan is long gone.”

Leading his captain through the storage compartment, Mark directed him to grab various cases. On the planet’s surface, Maximus asked “What are the odds these improvements backfire?”

“Very slim because we’re going to leave the original Earth tech in as a back up.”

“You could’ve done this on your own.”

“That’s my job. How long have we been out here?”

“Not long.”

“I meant in space. You’re the only one who can really tell what the counter says in normal time.”

“Seconds are scientific.”

“Or so you’ve been told, right?”

He smiled “Yes.”

“Well?”

“We’re nearing three years.” Maximus observed “You and Faith seem close.”

“Well we’re the only Blanks on the team.”

“That is abnormal?”

“Two thirds of the team are soulmates.”

“Right.”

“The modifications will take a few days, hopefully we’ll ring in the new year while we’re here.” 


	7. Reflection

The counter alerted them to the passing of a year and for the first time, the Talos crew decided to take a few days off. A heavy silence fell over the crew as they were hit with the gravity of the situation. Only half of them were in any way military, Cody was the only one with traditional military experience and even he was brought down with the revelations plaguing the crew. At his terminal, Maximus hit play on a song he uploaded before the mission. Suspenseful music filled the room, building to a climax and drawing everyone’s attention as 30 Seconds To Mars’ This Is War played. The song ended and Maximus asked “Requests?”

Mark came over and looked at the list “Angel with a Shotgun.”

“Enough of those sad songs.” Cody moved to his assigned terminal “Can you broadcast from any terminal?”

“Sure.”

“How about this one?”

Mark read the name “Country?”

“Chicken Fried or Boondocks, both very happy songs. Or how about this?”

“That’s better, Prince ain’t bad.”

“You got a better idea?”

“Final Countdown, a classic.”

“Alright, I guess it’s better than Eye of the Tiger which would be a terrible choice.”

“Agreed. Maybe-” Mark asked the crew “Did anyone upload some Billy Joel?”

Faith said “I did. What song are you thinking of?”

Mark shrugged “Uptown Girl, maybe We Didn’t Start The Fire.”

“No,” Cody said “If we’re all gonna listen to Billy Joel, we gotta play a few.” He asked Faith “What do you got?”

She went to her terminal, “How about this?”

“It’s Still Rock ‘N’ Roll To Me?” Cody and Mark shared a look, “Perfect then Uptown Girl and finish with Fire if we’re playing all three.”

Maximus smiled “I see my plan worked.”

“Yeah, music bringing people together to argue over playlists, real original.” Cody asked “Ya mind?”

The Captain reached down and unplugged a wire “The headphones detach with relative ease.”

“Oh, yeah.” Mark said “I forgot about that.”

Maximus and Auran slipped away to the bridge, she asked “What is up with you?”

“I’m not sure.” They sat down at their stations, he confided “I suppose I have succumbed to the same depressing realizations as the others.”

“No, you haven’t. They just realized exactly what they signed on for, you already knew what you were getting into before we accepted the UN’s offer.” Auran looked at him with clear worry, “You haven’t been sleeping, what’s going on?”

“That’s the serum.”

“No-”

“Yes.” Maximus turned to her, “The serum treats fatigue like a disease, which makes it harder to fall asleep and like you said, we’re the only ones who knew what we were getting into.” She watched him, “I signed my life away for a chance, just a chance to be like everyone else in Attilan and now things I took for granted have become difficult. I should’ve known better.”

“Stop.” He frowned at her. “Before launch, when they gave us all those shots just to be safe, one of mine was a booster. They noticed something in my blood work that suggested my powers were fading. I doubt the Council was ignorant to the fact but they chose to keep it from me. I have to wonder if I had a normal soulmate, a fellow Inhuman like the rest of Attilan, would the Council have told me? You know how they treat pregnancy and soulbonds. The doctors told me that if they hadn’t caught it then one day I probably would’ve just stayed dead.” Auran looked at him, “We really need to work on communicating.”

“Obviously.” Max wondered “If they gave you a booster, perhaps we all got one.”

“There are boosters for the serum?”

“A formula was created to stabilize the serum should the need arise.”

“That’s always a possibility.”

“A booster might kick my healing factor into overdrive.”

They spent an hour talking before Cody peeked in “Are you gonna join the party soon?”

“No,” answered Max simply.

“Mark’s about to take apart the chairs.”

“To recline them?”

“They- oh, that makes more sense. Thanks Max.” Cody left to rejoin the party.

“We should go,” Auran suggested “We may not get much more time off.”

“True.”

After almost a week’s leave, Maximus and Mark finished the modifications to continue the mission.


	8. Vox

Alice was almost overrun with work when the Kree Imperium deployed the Vox. Once her patients were secured in their bunks, Alice engaged the autopilot to fly them out of there. Altering the artificial gravity, she began an evasive maneuvers program. Only Maximus, who healed at a remarkable rate, was able to recover without her intervention. The super soldier helped her treat the others. Auran was the most concerning because her gift seemed to be compromised. Dr. Robertson directed Maximus to work on the others. Faith had only gone out to extract the others, she was unconscious but mostly unharmed.

After four days of almost nonstop work, Alice called it “There’s nothing more we can do. I need you to go down to Faith’s lab and retrieve some D-23.”

“For the bunks?” asked Maximus, recalling the lab inventories faster than the computer had.

“Yes. We will have to use the lounge for the time being.”

“I can handle the set-up.”

“I know.”

At his gesture, Alice followed him to Faith’s lab “We must first alter the D-23, given the different-” he trailed off with a vague hand motion and Alice worried for him.

“Is the serum working at full capacity?”

“Yes, my mind is simply elsewhere.” Alice highly doubted Maximus' mind was ever solely locked on the here and now.

“You did nothing wrong, we simply lacked the proper intel.”

“I know.” Max looked at her “You made the right call sending Faith.”

“My powers don’t work at a distance.”

“How do your powers work?”

“I can induce varying degrees of hypothermia to slow bodily functions.” She shrugged “I worked the trauma unit in the ER, being able to slow a person’s heart down so they don’t bleed to death was handy and my superiors didn’t care how I was improving our stats. It helps that our hospital has a history with mutants.”

“You have experience in triage?”

“Yeah. Now let’s alter this stuff.”

Maximus walked her through the same processes Faith had walked him through when they were drifting through empty space. “Two mutants, one moon Inhuman and one hybrid.”

“Hybrid?” Then she remembered Mark telling them about how his parents always had to fight during the daylight or people would notice the flashing light from his father's mutation “Right. Do you think we need to alter their IVs for this?”

“We should probably switch to an aerosol equivalent.” He turned to the console, entering chemical formulas “Close as I can figure, our stabilized D-23 variants will look like this.” He stepped aside to let her manipulate the models to meet her needs.

“I’m too tired to do this.”

Max put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. “Relax. What are we currently giving them and what does the aerosol equivalent look like? Let’s compare our primary options.” Once the models matched her criteria, he highlighted each a different color. “This is for Auran, will her gifts impede the effectiveness?”

They went through and made adjustments for each patient before Maximus applied their work. Armed with the fruits of their labor, he went to the maintenance compartment while she returned to the bunks to disconnect the lines. Working in tandem, they replaced the IVs with aerosol solutions.

Leaving his work, Max stopped in the nearest storage compartment to grab blankets then dragged Alice to the showers. Afterwards, she found him with a toolkit working on one of the chairs in the lounge, another one already reclined. “I didn’t know they could recline.”

“They’re not supposed to but Mark made some modifications for New Year’s near the start of the mission, he thought we’d use the time off for celebration.” The chair he was working on eased back, taking the form of a cot. “Take your pick.” He left, presumably to take a shower himself. Alice prepared some food and sat down at the computer terminal to give her report instead of allowing herself to simply pass out. Max quickly typed up his report and ate some of the standard astronaut fare they’d been sent with before turning the lights off.

Some time later, Faith recovered and joined the routine the pair had formed around caring for their comrades. Mark was the last to recover and he woke up the angriest. They returned to work once Alice gave him the medical all clear. During their next dig into the Kree databases, they discovered what attacked them “The Vox were created by the Kree Imperium to be Inhumans without humanity. Super-Inhumans, they are used to inspire fear as part of a join or die campaign the Imperium is leading to fill their ranks. The Imperium is at war with the Kree Empire proper and the Vox are their greatest weapon. What we cannot pinpoint is the Vox base species,” Maximus explained for the camera “It would be easy if we knew what dialect the Vox speaks, seeing as early humans were not the only subjects of Kree experiments. The dialect, if not the language, would give us an idea of what sector they’re from. I have concerns about attacks on our people so I am going to ask the Nova Corps to pass on this message.” He signed as he spoke and transferred the file to the Corps under the name Vox. They had fought the Vox in disputed space formerly belonging to Thanos, it wouldn’t seem too crazy for them to explore that sector given Earth's recent history.

* * *

**Nearly 10 million counts later (3-4 months)**

Mark Lucas was knocked out by the force of his power as his magnetic field blew up, tearing apart the ship. Cody flew the Talos in close to retrieve his floating body while his wife prepped for an emergency procedure. Locking him down in his bunk for the dangerous flight out of the area, they flew to a barren rock decimated by Thanos. Cody raced from the bridge to help Alice with their engineer, coming back a few minutes later “No injuries to report. Looks like he overtaxed his powers but just to be safe, Alice is running tests.”

A week passed with the team back in action before trouble appeared in the form of Vox, who demanded to speak with the one responsible for destroying a Kree Imperium vessel. Since the soulless being seemed content to wait, they cut communication and Mark asked “How are we gonna play this? Should I go out there?”

“This is out of character for the Vox,” agreed Maximus.

“The Vox?”

“Yes, I was reading through the Kree files we’ve acquired. The Kree Imperium created the Vox as super Inhumans, taking away their humanity to make the perfect weapons.”

“What are my chances, Captain?”

“Quite good, I believe that ship was the last of the Imperium and the Vox are now looking for a new direction. Perhaps your actions have earned you their respect.”

“Commander?” Mark wasn’t sure if he was expecting Auran to be the voice of reason or what.

“Maximus will shadow you, Cody will be ready with the weapons’ system, you take point.”

“Yes, ma’am.” They went out and after the Vox verified their information, they informed Mark that they would be at his service should he need them. He had expressed an interest to remain neutral in their affairs prior to the offer. Auran made a suggestion, which Mark passed on, giving the Vox a series of targets.

Back on the bridge, Faith said “So they’re on our side now? Good, I do not want to try fighting them.”

“Let’s get out of Kree space so we can send an update,” suggested Maximus.

“Do it.” He typed away at his station “You can do it from here?”

Her husband said “The Nova Corps modified our system to include a distress beacon, which can be used for communication.”

“O-kay.”

Cody asked “What’s our next move?”

Captain Boltagon sent them a list of targets, the Vox targets were struck through with a V next to them. “According to the latest Nova Corps’ file, Mark?”

Their engineer began mapping a course, “We can hit a string of these within a week, I think?”

“604,800 counts.”

They were all used to Maximus’ quick, almost compulsive conversions so Mark simply nodded “Sounds about right.” He sent the map to Auran, who ran it through a series of programs for threat analysis before approving the plan. As they began moving with a purpose, she assigned tasks. For a while, there was smooth sailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter skips around a bit because I wanted to introduce the idea of the Kree experimenting on other races, not just early man.


	9. Overrun

“Captain, what do you know about early Terran Inhumans?”

“They rebelled against the Kree and were deemed failed experiments, which is why the Kree will kill current Inhumans given the chance. Why?”

Mark said “They’re preparing to deploy an Inhuman from our world.”

Maximus moved over to his station and read the file “Hive.”

Auran asked “Do we have weapons systems?”

Cody answered “Yeah. What’s Hive?”

Maximus returned to his station “Alveus was created to lead the Inhuman army. After leading the rebellion, it came to believe itself a God. Inhumans and humans working together banished it through a Kree artifact called the Monolith. HYDRA is the latest iteration of the cult which exists to bring Alveus back.”

As he turned his attention to checking the ship’s systems, Auran explained “It can possess people, we don’t know how exactly but Hive’s purpose was to lead the Inhumans in war for the Kree. If it escapes, the planet is doomed.”

Faith agreed “The Kree won’t leave such an obvious weakness like the Monolith open.”

Auran said “We need to destroy Alveus before the Kree get a chance to release it.”

“What exactly does HYDRA do for Alveus?” asked Alice.

“Unclear.” Maximus said “We believe there’s two HYDRAs: the Cult of Hive and the neo-Nazis.”

“Great but with this Monolith, is there a chance that they’re sending people through?”

“The Monolith was sunk during the Uprising.”

“Okay then.”

“Plus Alveus can possess people.”

“Right.”

Cody said “So we go wherever this Alveus bastard is, blow the nearest Kree to kingdom come and send the ships careening towards the wannabe God? Simple.”

“Yeah but to be safe, we’ll have to blow the planet.” Everyone turned to Mark, who explained “We don’t really know anything about how Alveus’ power works. How has it survived so long?”

Maximus nodded “We shouldn’t have a problem with that. In fact, we should be able to trick the Kree into destroying it for us. Silence on the bridge.” After a ten minute argument in Kree, he nodded to the crew “Done. Now let’s go stop a world killer.” He sent the information to all stations. A Kree fleet was making its way towards another empire intent on exacting retribution for the recent attacks on their agents. “Cody, suit up for a space walk.”

“What?”

“So that you can absorb the energy from the weapon.”

“Again, what? I can’t do that.”

“You absorb energy all the time.”

“Huh?” He was getting tired of saying what.

“Perhaps I’m mistaken. Could you explain your powers?”

“Takes a lot to put me down and keep me there.”

“Because you absorb the energy from the hits. If I’m wrong, we’ll die. If I’m right, we’ll cut years off our mission time. If we do nothing, whole planets will be wiped out. Unless you have a better idea?”

“I think I’ll need a crash course in absorbing energy because this really is news to me.”

Auran said “Maximus, Cody, go.”

They changed out of their fatigues into their space suits before Maximus shot him in the head with a standard issue blaster. “See? You’re a natural.”

“Right.”

“No atmosphere or gravity in space, these will keep you tethered.” Cody changed into the offered boots and took the offered helmet before they made their way to the dock, strapping into the chairs beside the hatch “We are clear for jump.”

The jostling was best minimized on the bridge but any chair in the ship was safe to use in case of emergency. They came out of the jump a safe distance away from the fleet and Cody fumbled to release his harness, “Let’s go.”

His partner had no problem getting to his feet and slapped the mutant’s helmet, “Fix the seal then activate life support or you’ll suffocate.”

“Right.” The mutant copied the super soldier and Mark ran a system check to make sure their gear was safe. Maximus led him to the top of the ship and directed him to stand stiff, returning to the bridge as the Kree came in range to attack. Cody gritted his teeth against the impact, feeling the power flood his body and locking it within.

“You’re going to overload, blast the fleet.”

When he came to after blacking out from the overload, Alice was standing over him in the barracks. “Did it work?”

“You vaporized the fleet and destroyed a large portion of your suit. Luckily, we were in range for the nearby planets to pick up on our fight. They invited us to set down and talk.”

“That’s a good thing?”

“They’re going to claim we’re working with them. According to Maximus, that gives them minimal responsibility for our actions while allowing them to benefit from our reputation. We’re officially at war.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I’m not sure. I think Auran and Maximus are trying to work out what the rules are out here. Mark said he’s going to modify your suit to handle your powers but there wasn’t enough left to salvage the one you were wearing.”

“Okay. What aren’t you telling me?”

“You stopped breathing.”

“For how long?”

“Long enough for brain damage, not that I could find evidence of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like you didn’t need air until we forced it on you.”

“How-?”

“I don’t know. We, we think that you absorbed enough energy for your body to subsist on that. Theoretically, you could travel through space unaided but let’s not test that.”

“Okay. That’s a lot, wow, I didn’t need air.”

“Maximus said that the serum gave him insomnia.”

“What does that-?”

She held her hand up for quiet “His body treats fatigue like anesthesia. He thinks, we think that your stamina is the result of your body absorbing energy directly.” When her husband didn’t seem to get it, she said “Maximus’ stamina is the result of the serum attacking fatigue toxins, your stamina is the result of your body getting more energy than you need. The excess makes you hyper.”

“What energy?”

“Solar, maybe.”

“K.” Smiling, Cody asked “Am I cleared for duty?”

“We’re stationary right now but yeah, I can’t find any medical reason to bench you.”

“We’re back on shore leave?”

“We are, the whole crew isn’t.”

“Alright.”

The crew was spread out around the lounge when Auran and Maximus returned from their final meeting with the local government. Mark climbed off the exercise machine and Faith logged off the terminal while the Robertsons simply turned to face their leaders. Auran smiled tiredly “We are officially allies at war. Our success will count as a victory for the locals. Their military will be on alert for more Kree vessels, this sector is safe.”

Maximus said “Mark and I will work to secure the drives our allies are giving us for the eventual return. In the event that failure seems imminent, we will route ourselves through this sector on our way back.”

“They’ll cover our retreat if needed.” Cody asked “You okay, Captain?”

“Fine.”

“Relatively fine,” Auran corrected. “We’re going to do another escort job before returning to the mission.”

“Who are we escorting?”

“We are going to try to move Inhuman settlements out of the warzone.”

“Try?”

“We’re not sure how many have the resources to move themselves.”

“Resources like a ship?” Theirs was rather small but it worked well for their purpose.

“Yes.”

Cody turned to their engineer “Have you figured out portal tech yet?”

“Between me and the Captain, we should be able to pull something together.”

Auran said “Even better.”

“If any of the settlements are networked, we could get them all out in one fellswoop.”

“We’ll give them the plans, make sure they understand both how to build the machine and why they need to then get back on mission.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They used the opportunity to test Cody’s newfound power, all of the settlements moved to empty planets within protected space once the threat was explained. The Talos crew was almost too late on a couple occasions but they managed with minimal casualties. “Good news, sorta, the Kree began closing ranks after Cody vaporized that fleet.” Mark smiled “And they just finished. The military is amassing at key points on Hala with patrols set up on the central most planets. I think Cody and I can take care of the ships to help you get Mad Max planetside for recon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed the Easter Egg at the end


	10. Detour

“By some miracle, we all survived.” Mark began, “I have to say, it’s been an experience and one I wouldn’t mind repeating. Maximus actually asked if I would invite him to my wedding, assuming Faith and I have one.” He chuckled, “And that was how I realized I was dating our chemist. The upside and downside of being a Blank is not having words. I used to think that was something that depressed Blanks said when they felt like waxing poetic. Now, I agree and I don’t think I’m depressed.” He shrugged, “I guess everyone has a soulmate but some of us have a bit more searching to do. I still remember helping Maximus circumvent the bunk’s design so I could share with Faith. According to his counter math, that was over a year ago. I’m sure he was serious when he asked about a wedding, because he doesn’t joke. Now, I just have to pop the question as they say. Mark Lucas, Inhuman outer space engineer, signing off at“ he read the counter.

As he returned to the bridge, Auran said “We’re not going home just yet. We picked up a Kree threat against Black Death, apparently Terra did not wait until our return to send more people past the border of our solar system.”

“Understood.” The transmission was sent to his station to backtrace, “We’ll have to play it, Commander. It originates from Hala.”

Auran said “Full volume.” Mark played the video, extrapolating the prison’s location as most of the words washed over him. “Prepare to respond.” Maximus left to suit up as Mark plotted a course and set up a two-way video uplink. The Captain returned in his armor, “Connect.” The image of a Kree official and scribe appeared on her console “Black Death for the Terrans.”

“Do not pretend you are not from Terra.”

“We left Terra centuries ago. This trade will benefit us equally. The Black Death is not human, he is one of a kind.” Every word was true, though taken out of context.

“Your terms are acceptable.” The Kree said “Proceed to the coordinates. Black Death will be examined before our agents give you the Terrans.”

“Alive. All captives will be alive.”

“Agreed.” The connection was cut, Cody rose to secure their  _ captive  _ in the cargo bay.

Upon reaching the prison ship, he escorted the Captain, wearing Kree armor that left his face visible. Mark was just out of sight, ready to crush the guards’ weapons before they could shoot. Auran oversaw the exchange, the spitting image of a stoic commander. A scientist ran scans on her soulmate, confirming his identity. The human captives were thrown at Robertson’s feet as Maximus was taken away. The Terrans’ shackles gave Mark the ability to levitate them to the infirmary.

Faith got on the computer, “We traded Maximus again. You’d think they’d be wise to that trick by now. I suppose it doesn’t matter, they’ll be dead and we’ll be home in no time. Once we’re on Earth, I’ll introduce Mark to my folks and we’ll see if we’re really a good match. As of,” she read the counter, “We are beginning what should be our last return trip but who knows. Peace!” She went to Mark’s lab, “I don’t know if I told you this but I think when we get back, we should use the reunion at base to meet each other’s families.”

“Sounds great.”

As predicted, Maximus returned on his own. Dr. Robertson was wary of how easily he did that, prompting her to be more scrutinizing in her study of his suit and body rather than clearing him quickly as she’d often done before. Reporting to the bridge, he briefed his soulmate and remained standing behind her, “Power behind the throne.”

“What?”

“Did you ever think this would be our life? Me being the power behind your throne?”

“No,” Auran asked “Are you ready to face your family?”

“I’m glad we’ll have time in quarantine first, though I do miss Louise, she seemed a lot like me before Terrigenesis.”

“She reminds me a lot of you shortly after.”

“I think of our human relatives, Jen is more like me then.”

“True. Does that mean you were Magneto after the coup?”

“I suppose it might.”

“I wonder how much has changed.”

“Don’t we all?”

“True.” After a pause, Auran said “I’m glad we got the ceremony out of the way before the serum.”

“Seems our lives have become even more controlled since the program.”

“We knew yours would be,” Auran switched to auto-pilot, turning to Maximus, “Be honest. What are the odds that humanity will allow our team to re-enter society?”

“We have to consider the odds that our crewmates will want to, we are now Earth’s foremost experts on the universe. Before Faith and Mark got together, I was thinking perhaps we should take him to Attilan.”

“You don’t think she’ll do well there.”

“I think she’s a much smarter, mutant version of Flora.”

“That’s fair.”

“I think the Robertsons are more than happy being astronauts, they may not want to reintegrate.”

“But if humanity won’t let our team reintegrate, if they think it’s too much of a risk, you and I have your brother’s protection as royals.”

“Auran, you’re forgetting, mutants outnumbered Inhumans when we left, I doubt that has changed. Pietro may be Crystal’s soulmate but he’s also Magneto’s son, he’s also an Avenger who has strong ties to the X-Men. If humanity presents a threat, my brother-in-law will deal with it.”

“They got married pretty quick because of us.”

“They did it to get Pietro diplomatic immunity so he could maintain contact with his father.”

“Right.” Auran said “You haven’t answered my original question.”

“Things have changed. When we began we were two couples and a pair of excitable scientists, now we are a single unit. I would like to see humanity try to stop our team from doing something so simple if they wanted to. The question is, how much of our team really wants to return to their lives after this adventure of a lifetime?”

“Fair point.”

“We can make the rest of the trip on auto-pilot and I have an idea, if you could bring the team to the common room.”

“I think bringing Mark to Attilan is still a good idea. Nobody can measure his power as well as the Genetic Council can.”

“That we know of.”

“See you in the common area.”

After assembling the team, Maximus pulled something up on the main gaming console, “Check your terminals, before we begin.” They logged on and found bios on them, “You can edit those if you like, they’re for the official record. That’s how history will remember you.”

“Official bios, awesome,” said Mark. “Did you already go through yours?”

“Personally, I don’t care how I’m remembered for this mission.”

“Right, you’re still the 21st century supersoldier.”

“Precisely.”

When they were done, they stood around, Faith asked “What’s next? You said before we begin.”

“Come.” He was sitting in what they’d decided was the dealer’s chair. The large table was also, ironically, where they did haircuts because the table was so reflective.

“You’re gonna do clips?” asked Cody, whooping “Awesome.”

“We’re a few days out from Earth, unless you’d rather leave the ship in full armor. As I recall, launches and landings are often very public affairs.” After the first time he’d cut their hair and they discovered how good he was at it, Maximus often refused. He pulled out clippers for the guys, “I’m warning you now, I haven’t slept in over a week’s cycle, well over twenty-five hundred counts.”

“You’re not allowed to until we’re back on Earth or you’re on the verge of passing out, right?” asked Mark.

“Right.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure hairdressing wasn’t one of the skills the program required you to have to stay in the race. Cody and I are just getting a close shave, we got a doctor right next to us if you cut too close. Not that you seem exhausted, anyway.”

Alice said “You haven’t slept in a week and you still pulled off your escape routine. I don’t think you’re any less capable than you normally are.”

Auran smiled “He doesn’t need as much sleep as the rest of us do anyway, Rogers claimed he only needs an hour a week. I think that’s your go ahead, Maximus.” When he was done, Auran took over to do his, as she had for the entire mission. “Okay, so what games can we play that Maximus won’t have an unfair advantage in?”

“There are a few we haven’t taught you two yet that might be loaded onto the consoles.” They smiled and began to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I skipped the end of the mission, that's on purpose because I'm calling that part the lost months, my Bahrain, my Budapest for this story.


	11. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, translations from alien languages will be underlined

Upon landing, they made sure to rush their guests out to receive proper medical attention then did one last inventory, Maximus changing the codes on the artifact boxes while Mark removed the cameras to transport their stored memory with the rest of the hard copy records. Once the post-mission chores were done, they finally disembarked to the sea of reporters’ joy. Hustling into the base, they followed Maximus to the quarantine area where they were walked through the protocol to change into scrubs while undergoing decontamination procedures. They were singled out for the initial tests, including an IQ test to compare to one taken before the mission, then they were escorted to their rooms. Dr. Gardner was set to meet with them after quarantine to clear them for reintegration. There was no way to take out any of them without taking on all of them, that was for sure.

Maximus had been in this situation before, he even teased Auran for acting like Medusa when the program saw fit to isolate him for more controlled experiments. The 24 hour cycle went by unremarkably, for him. The others were nervous wrecks, clearly they thought they’d be in quarantine together. They had all been of the impression that quarantine would last a week; they had also been of the impression that they would return before human missions beyond the edge of the solar system began. Both impressions were proven wrong when they were given psych evals a single day after quarantine began. Andrew passed them all, though he did note reintegration may require special support. They returned from their sessions to find a pack of grey fatigues waiting for them to put on after a shower, their doors remaining open behind them. Making quick work of the change, Maximus read their paperwork before they signed. As they entered the lobby, a little girl came racing towards them and stopped short with a questioning “Uncle Max?” The super soldier picked her up and swung her around, carrying her over to the rest of the family.

Smiling, he asked “Whose kid?” Crystal and Pietro raised their hands, sharing the smile.

Medusa said “Her name’s Luna,” prompting Pietro to slap himself for missing the obvious.

With a bounce, he set her down. Maximus had detoured on his way back from Dr. Gardner to check something out as a souvenir. “Here,” he put a little crystal into her hand, “That is the most dangerous thing in the universe, it’s used in spaceships and very powerful.” He opened her clenched fist, “It’s also used in decoration on some more peaceful planets.” Pressing the small shard into her bracelet, he smiled down at her.

Pietro asked “Is there anything we should know about that rock?”

“No, it’s harmless by itself.”

Crystal argued, “You didn’t know about Luna.”

Maximus hugged the girl and lifted her up, “No but I checked the crystal out anyway.”

“How long has it been?” asked Auran. “Not in seconds.”

“24 hour quarantine after approximately two weeks on the initial return, another two weeks for our detour. A little over a month.”

“Since?” asked Pietro.

“I slept, the endurance tests were ordered for our return trip.”

“Wait,” Pietro said “You haven’t eaten or slept in a month?”

“No, just sleep. I went a week and a half without food before the doctor overrode the mission plan.”

“Really?” Pietro said disbelieving.

“Yes.”

Mark, noticing the crystal on Luna’s bracelet, came over “How’d you get that?”

“I checked it out on our way out.”

“Think they’d let me do that?”

“As long as the item’s not the only one in stock, yes.”

“Awesome.”

“Remember the code?”

“No?”

Maximus handed his friend his badge “Don’t lose this one.”

“Your clearance- nevermind.”

“Is not higher than yours here.”

“Right.”

Mark hurried off, leaving his girlfriend confused by his rush. She came over to ask Maximus “Do you know what he’s doing?”

“Checking out a souvenir.”

“We can do that?”

“If you can get back there and the item is not the only one in stock.”

“I have my badge.”

“Mark lost his.”

“Actually, he gave it to me for some reason- wait, did you just give him your badge?”

“Yes, we have equal clearance here.”

“Cap, the system will read him as you. Whatever he checks out will be in your name.”

“You have his badge.”

She looked between the badges in her hand and him, “Right.” Then she rushed off after her boyfriend.

A few minutes later, Maximus set Luna down and called out “Look out.”

Cody turned fast enough to act, getting between the royal family and the threat in time to absorb the energy from the Kree blaster. Before he could do anything else, Auran said “He’s not a soldier. Look how he’s holding the gun, no Kree with half a brain would ever hold a photon-discharge weapon that way.”

Cody studied the man, who seemed inept and scared. He was bracing the rather large gun against his chest, “Yeah. If that thing discharged, he’d be dead in under a second.” Holding his hands out from his sides, he carefully approached, “Your gun is about to overload. If that happens, everyone in this building will die, including both you and me. Give me the gun and we’ll call it even.”

“You think I’m stupid.”

“Honestly?” When that garnered no response except the hefting of the weapon in question, Cody stopped in his tracks. “Do you want me to answer honestly?”

“Sure.”

“I wouldn’t call you stupid since you’re smart enough to hold that with both hands, find the trigger and aim. The fact you have it leads me to believe you found it because your average Kree is twice as strong as your average human, meaning you couldn’t just take that from one. Overall, I think you’re really in over your head. You have to brace that gun against your chest or the kickback will tear your arms off but since you’ve never seen a Kree use it, you don’t know how to engage the safety. Those guns can’t be stored in active configuration like that, they have a tendency to overload and the discharge that precedes an overload is not pretty. Like I said, give me the gun and we’ll call it even.”

After a couple seconds deliberation, the man nodded “Come and get it.”

“I will as soon as you assure me you’re not going to shoot me.”

“I won’t,” the guy shook with nerves “But y-y-you said I’m smart for holding it with both hands.”

“That’s right, I did. Now I’m gonna move fast for everyone’s sake. Don’t shoot.” Cody darted forward and took the gun, hands moving deftly until a relatively small metal box remained “Okay, you were about two seconds from your first discharge if the heat on this thing is anything to go by.”

“What is discharge?”

“When the weapon gets ready to overload, it discharges bolts of energy. In most high power weapons, discharge signifies damage. In these ol’ blasters, it just means they’ve been left on too long. Y’see,” he hefted the block “The power core is self-sustaining but you have to manually turn it off or it’ll start to discharge as the power gets to be too much. How did you get your hands on this? I haven’t seen one of these since- nevermind.”

“Like you said, I found it.”

“Kree weapons don’t usually fall out of the sky and this one’s surprisingly undamaged. Try again.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“You do if you don’t want me to use the energy I absorbed from the blast.”

“No, I don’t and you won’t do that.”

“How do you know?”

“I can’t tell you where I got it, alright?”

“Fine.”

“Really?”

Cody turned “Quicksilver.” In the blink of an eye, the speedster was there with them “Take this kid to the Avengers, I don’t think he acquired the gun himself and I don’t trust the government not to reverse engineer it.” He handed over the block to the Avenger, who took both it and their assailant with a nod. Cody looked at the royal family “Maximus was backing me up the whole time, wasn’t he?”

Auran nodded “Probably.” She grabbed her badge “I really hope he just stole a badge instead of circumventing security.”

“Unfortunately, I did not realize there were guards on this side until I was already through.”

When half the royal family jumped and spun to see the super soldier, Cody smiled “So he does that to everyone, not just us?”

“Yes,” answered Maximus. “I highly doubt I’ll get in much trouble for circumventing security on one internal door when I have clearance for most of the base.”

“You could’ve just taken my badge.”

“Yours wouldn’t register on the door I’m referring to.”

“You just said you have clearance for most of the base, we have equal clearance so what door are you talking about?” He pointed to a door with no scanner, “What’s behind that door?”

“Classified.”

“Maximus.”

“I simply needed through that door because the automation on the rest would give me away.”  
“You don’t know what’s behind that door, do you?”

“I do not.”

“Well, if nothing else, he never lies,” said Jen. “It’s apparently like pulling teeth for anyone to get a real answer but he didn’t lie. I’d be willing to bet the door has different security for a reason.”

“As would I,” said Maximus. When Luna came over to him, he picked her up.

Crystal smiled, Pietro spent hours signing with Black Bolt about Maximus and shared every story with Luna. He also shared stories of his family but Luna loved to hear about Uncle Max, who was often silly in the stories. Gorgon predicted Maximus would win the best uncle/cousin prize the moment Luna met him, Karnak agreed then commented on how surprised he was to be agreeing with Gorgon of all people and received a smack for his troubles.

Jen’s form flickered and everyone froze, not the best way to share that new development. Maximus set Luna down and held out his hand for Auran’s key card, which she gave. As he walked away, Louise asked “What’s he doing?”

“Getting a stabilizer, Faith should still be in storage so it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Stabilizer?” asked Jen.

“Transhumanist experiment, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know what they’re going to use but Faith knows what she’s doing. If nothing else, her power works on all organics, although she prefers to stick to plants. That’d be fine, if she knew when to make an exception.”

“If I did that then we wouldn’t have strong allies now, would we?” Faith took Jen’s arm in her hand, “Maximus was dead on. Just a shot should do it.” True to her word, “There. Give it about, uh,” she turned to Maximus and said something in Kree, he responded then she turned back “Half an hour, you’ll start to feel it. Should run its course in two hours, maybe two days. I don’t know, we’ve been telling time by counting seconds these past few years.”

“Did you ask Maximus to translate the time?”

“No, I asked him to count it. He’s been tracking it for us pretty much since the mission started.” Faith stepped back “Two days tops, two hours minimum and Maximus knows the formula if there are any problems.” She held out his card “Might wanna hold onto this.” Once he took it, she left to return the injector.


	12. Mag

Jen looked at Maximus, “You know the formula?”

“I helped her make it.”

“And you have a serum-enhanced memory, right. Are you guys cleared to leave?”

“Yes but Mark asked us for a favor first.”

“I forgot about that.” Mark said, running up to Max “And I asked you, not Auran but whatever. Here.” Max pressed the crystal into the band provided “Thanks. About that favor, it’s not really something you can do here anyway.”

“You need access to Attilan’s systems?”

“Uh, yeah. Guess I don’t- cool.” He cut himself off as Black Bolt signed then Mark rolled his eyes at the surprised looks “I can guess that was a yes, even though I don’t know the language. Chill.”

Glancing at his family, Auran asked him “Can you check for a sniper and implants?”

“Sure thing, Commander.” Mark closed his eyes for a moment then they flew open as he swore fluently in Shi’ar and Kree.

“Implants then?”

“Yeah. How’d you- behavior.”

Auran nodded “I think you should come with us, get the ball rolling on your endgame.”

“Alright. Cool if I bring my sister? My parents would seem suspicious but as far as anyone knows, I’m close to my sister who I believe has DID.”

“Yeah, just move fast. If they have Kree weapons-”

“Right.”

Jen said “I’m lost and I actually speak Kree.”

“Mark grew up in a gifted school, Maximus and I have had our suspicions about that since Mark mentioned dating a Shi’ar woman when he was 15. As far as we know, fifteen year old Americans don’t usually have enough freedom to secretly date aliens.”

“That’s right,” said Louise.

“Which makes the whole thing suspicious unless the aliens’ presence is linked to the school, Mark’s pretty secretive about both.”

“Stands to reason.”

Mark rejoined them with a girl slightly younger than him “We need to go before someone notices I disabled the implants.”

The trip to Attilan was very short thanks to Lockjaw taking Jen, Mark and Mark’s sister to Jen’s workspace while the rest went the long way through a portal that was briefly linked to one in Attilan. Mark immediately called up the files that had been collected by the underground he set up for escapees from the program. With help from Jen’s program, he sent information to the relevant authorities and caused a few jurisdiction snafus to ensure the guilty parties were dealt with.

Once his primary mission was complete, Mark began working on another project. “What are you doing?” asked Maximus and only the years of exposure to the Captain’s favorite trick kept the engineer from jumping.

“I’m setting up a basic communication network to link all Inhuman settlements. Do you have the other program ready for transfer?”

“Yes, or rather Jen does if you can run the translation program over it before transfer.”

“Great.”

Jen asked “Are you talking about the interplanetary AI? What’s it for?”

“The Kree Empire,” answered Mark “Or more specifically, protecting the Kree from the slaughter they will face once word spreads that their army is no more. Everything’s in place to implement an AI but I hope you have taken measures to prevent another Supreme Intelligence.”

“Yeah, Carol Danvers was pretty influential on this one. How are you going to implement it?”

“As I said, das’t.” He scrapped his work then sought out a communication program on the console, finding the one that connected Attilan to Earth. Copying the code, he began modifying it. “As I said, everything is in place to implement an AI, likely from the days of the Supreme Intelligence. I might need help from another Inhuman outpost to lengthen my reach but beyond that, it should be relatively easy to slip our AI into place. Does ours have a name?”

“No. How about Car-Ell?”

“Champion, good name, I guess. I’ll have to check a few things during the download. Do you need to make modifications on the program?”

“Uh, yeah.”

They once again shared the console as he set to open communication with alien Inhuman settlements, requesting aid from the first one he could reach to network the others. Hours later, after Jen had finished her work and stepped back, Mark finally finished setting up the network, connecting it to that of Attilan. He scanned her program’s code, making tweaks before threading it through to the Kree with a few other programs that contained messages for the civilian population remaining.

His last task was hailing the Shi’ar for a conversation with his lost love, he told her of his success in shutting down the program and informed her that she had to come back to testify so they could ensure convictions against all involved. She reminded him of the years with a request to catch up before he could move on to the next order of business. That part of the chat was awkward because he had to tell her about not only his girlfriend, but also what he had learned about his family, about the baby brother he’d never meet and the younger sister he can never be sure he did or didn’t meet. Moving on to business as soon as he could, Mark requested she send him some files on the Shi’ar and their history and the Starjammers so he could start a portfolio before their ship came in range for the trial. She obliged, ordering a subordinate to set it up. They parted on the promise to get in touch when she was once again on Earth/Terra so she could learn more about the mission that led him to learn of the Starjammers.

As his work came to a close, Mark became aware of Karnak watching him. “Maximus didn’t sneak up on me, did he?”

“No. Your sister already went back planetside with Jen, they’re going to help SHIELD sort through the files.”

“Are you sure that’s wise? If SHIELD were to figure out their source,”

“They won’t care. The Director has long suspected one of his own agents.”

“Okay. I could translate the Shi’ar files I’ve just received and leave a copy on your system if you want.”

“What kind of files?”

“Information on the Shi’ar history and the Starjammers, who are considered the precursor to the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“I thought the Starjammers persecuted the Skrulls.”

“That’s the Kree Starjammers. The Shi’ar Starjammers were outlaws who helped take down Majestor D’Ken. It’s said the mad emperor would sacrifice anything, including the empire, to get what he wanted. For comparison, Thanos was the Guardians’ D’Ken.”

“I see. Go ahead and translate the files.”

“Could take a few hours to work through the translation program and grammar check.”

“That’s fine.”

“Do I have to talk to SHIELD when I’m done?”

“Most likely.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Why not?”

“C’mere, I’ll show you.” Karnak came over and Mark played a video of Lilandra’s escape. He paused as the ship lifted off and a strange man came into frame, “That man recruited me for a gifted program. Within a week of this, I realized they were brainwashing me, trying to weaponize me. Everything I created at their special school was repurposed to use agaisnt aliens and other gifteds, they even paid me for it, made me think I was being paid for a patent.” He pointed at the stranger “I was briefly the oldest of four, that man arranged for my siblings to be taken repeatedly and tortured, sometimes with my tech. My sister, she was a twin.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t trust. The Director wanted me to join his Secret Warriors, I can’t deal with them now that the truth is out.”

“Okay. What about Hunter Cassidy?”

“The guy who invented portal tech, husband of the woman who made Maximus’ serum.”

“The Cassidys are the sole survivor of Arcade- what is it?”

“I’m almost positive the gifted program I was part of produced Arcade.”

“Hunter would sooner talk your ear off with nonsense than push you too far.”

“That talking in circles thing, it’s a form of manipulation, but I get your point, they won’t push too hard. Can’t I just send a statement?”

“Maybe.” Karnak left the room to make a call. When he returned, he told Mark “SHIELD will accept a witness statement if you can organize the files remotely.”

Mark quickly pulled a program out of his secure network and sent it through “There.” He finished the new translator and began work on condensing commercial spellcheckers down to one streamlined program to add to the end. “Give me like two more hours and I’ll have this all automated. It’ll run through your system, saving a copy to my database as it completes. Do you want me to set the console to turn off on its own?”

“Yes.”

“Again, it’ll be a couple hours.”


	13. Summers

Three hours later, he was sitting in the teachers’ lounge at the Jean Grey Institute, going through the files as they were translated when he suddenly froze. “Scott?” The mutant looked up “What was your father’s name?”

“Christopher, why?”

“Was your mother’s name Katherine?”

“Yes, how’d you- what’d you find?”

“Could you ask Jean to get Cody and Alice in here? We’ll need to run a DNA test to be sure but- just ask her, alright?”

“Okay,” he sounded suspicious. Good for him, Mark thought.

Dr. Grey led the Robertsons in, Mark began by asking “Cody, if I hacked your file, would I find any record of your existence before you hit double digits?”

“No, not unless you count my birth certificate and sosh. Why? Am I an alien or something?”

“Or something, I think. Scott already verified two points, your father is named Christopher Summers and your mother was Katherine Ann Summers.”

“How sure are you?”

“I’m sure Jean could do a DNA test but your powers are alike and how many people don’t have any records before adolescence.”

“Why’s that important? The adolescent thing?”

“Because during the reign of Majestor D’Ken Neramani, the Shi’ar were very big on slavery. Being an advanced alien race, they didn’t have to wait for slave children to grow up or even be born. Once pregnant, they could remove the future slave and put them in this machine to age them into adolescence. What was your estimated age?”

“14.”

“Prime adolescence.”

“What about my parents?”

“It’s said that D’Ken would sacrifice anything, including the empire itself, to get what he wanted.”

“Okay, so?”

“Slaves are the very definition of expendable.”

“You’re still jumping around.”

Alice told Mark “Either give it to us straight or just show us the file.”

“Fine. Christopher and Katherine Summers were taken from Te- Earth by the Shi’ar. Christopher escaped captivity on the ship and found D’Ken raping Katherine, who he had decided would join his harem. The emperor killed Katherine right in front of Christopher and sentenced him to the slave pits, where he escaped with four other slaves on a stolen ship, the Starjammer.”

“He’s Corsair?”

“Yes.” Mark skimmed the file until, “Scott, does the name Havok mean anything to you?”

“He’s alive?”

“I’m gonna take that as a yes. If you’ll give me a moment,” he typed a command into the computer “Yeah, he’s alive.” To keep the files ordered, he deleted the command.

Scott told them “My- our brother Alex went by Havok, he was one of the first X-Men.”

“Y’know, it’s interesting. There’s a chance you could have had both your brothers if my gifted school hadn’t existed. Assuming that Cody is your missing baby brother, the file says he was sent to Ter- Earth to serve Davan Shakari, the emperor’s agent here. Davan had orders to kill Charles Xavier in order to keep the Professor from aiding the then Princess, now Empress or Majestrix Lilandra. Thanks to the program, Lilandra’s contingent never met your Professor.” Mark turned to Jean “Do not let the Shi’ar know you are the host for the Phoenix, they regard the entity as The-End-Of-All-That-Is.”

“Okay.”

Cody asked “What’s going on?”

“The Shi’ar are coming for the trial, the Starjammers will act as escort. On the surface, not using the Imperial Guard is a show of respect.”

“In reality, they’re leaving the Guard to take care of things on the homefront and returning a couple Terrans to their homeworld.”

“Something like that I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Cody asked Jean and Scott “Do you want to do the DNA test? How does that work?”

“I’d compare your DNA to Scott’s and if we have it on file, Alex’s. Ideally, when the Starjammers get here, I can then verify Havok and Corsair’s identities using you two.”

Mark said “If you really need Alex’s DNA then ask Hunter to fire up the time machine so you can steal something with his DNA on it.”

“How’d you know it was a time machine?”

“We’re talking about a machine that can piggyback on wormholes, which bend spacetime. Of course, it’s got time travel capabilities but I also understand the reasons he doesn’t use it as such and why the evacuation portals don’t have that feature.” Catching Cody’s look, he set the laptop aside to face his friend fully. “Imagine you go back in time to kill Hitler during World War One. You’d be saving millions of lives, right?” As Cody began to nod, Mark answered his own question “Wrong. First off, the Nazis were not the only Axis Power so you might just be making room for Mussolini or Stalin to expand. Second, if you go back in time to kill Hitler before he becomes der Führer then you would never have a reason to go back in time so you never would and suddenly you’re Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day.”

“O-kay.”

“Got a codename?”

Cody was startled by the non sequitur “What?”

“Your father’s Corsair, your brothers are Havok and Cyclops, your sister-in-law is the Phoenix. I’ll grant you the last one isn’t really a codename but the rest are.” Mark asked Scott “Do you know Alex’s soulmate or was he a Blank?”

“Hank McCoy, Beast, he was another one of the first X-Men.”

Turning back to Cody “And you’re pseudo brother-in-law is Beast. Do you have a codename? I think mine’s pretty much public knowledge.”

“Vulcan.”

“Roman God of Fire, the Forge and Volcanoes?”

“Yeah.”

Alice said “I’m sure you can find the file, Mag.”

“Which Olympian were you?”

“Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy.”

“Awesome. So two thirds of our crew has codenames?”

“Yeah, because Mad Max is such a good codename.”

Alice and Mark shot Cody disbelieving looks, shared a look then said in unison “Black Death.”

“Oh, right. I thought we were talking ‘bout Terran codenames.”

Scott cut in “We call it Earth and you all know that.”

Mark turned back to his computer before saying “Earth translates to dirt, we’d do better in negotiations if we used the aliens’ name instead of insisting they call our world dirt.”

“Oh, okay.”

Changing the subject, Alice asked Mark “When’s the last time you ate?”

“Right when I got here before they gave me a laptop.”

Standing up, Scott said “I’ll check with Hank, see if the UN’s been made aware of the Shi’ar envoy.”

“I don’t know how old or accurate the files are. Maybe you should wait to verify Cody’s identity so you can tell him about your little brother, all you know right now is that you have two brothers.”

“Right. Y’know you’re a lot like Hunter.”

“Hunter Cassidy, the man who invented portal tech? I’m cool with that.” Mark glanced at the Robertsons “Two questions for you, Vulcan. First, did the Robertsons change your name to Cody? Second, are you gonna update your birth certificate if the test comes back positive?”

“My adoptive parents asked before they changed my name from Gabriel to Cody Gabriel Robertson.”

“Okay so if I’m right about you, your birth name was Gabriel Summers. You can ask your father about a middle name when he comes before you decide if you want to change your name.”

“Alright.”

“Let’s run that DNA test before we call Hank.” Down in the infirmary, Jean said “Normally these tests take time but the tech we have here is quite advanced so it’ll take an hour at most. Just a cheek swab.” She took samples from both even though Scott’s DNA was on file. She took the samples to a machine ringed with small holes, sticking the swabs into two of them before entering the setting. Fifteen minutes later, the screen brightened, “You are genetically brothers.”

Alice looked at the results while Jean disposed of the samples, “Looks like Alex is already in the system, that’ll make proof of identity easier.”

“Can I look at the code?” Startled, they all turned to Mark, “What?”

Cody said “I almost, nevermind.”

“If you don’t want me to sneak up on you, just ask.”

“Can Maximus really sneak up on you or do you just let him think that?”

“Bit of both.” Mark asked Jean “Can I look at the code? I might be able to modify it to scan for unmarked graves, like assassins and genocidal regimes use.”

“They have tools for that,” argued Cody.

The indulgent smile Mark gave was almost condescending, “My scanner would look for the DNA mutants, mutates, humans and Inhumans all share from aerial cruising altitude. And as we all know, flying is faster than driving because people quite literally cover more ground.”

“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a moron.”

“Sorry.”

Jean said “You can look at the code but don’t modify it.”

“Okay, it can wait. I’ll copy the code tomorrow, if that’s alright with you.”

“That’s fine.”


	14. Searching

After going through the files to make sure the translator and grammar check worked, Mark sent them to SHIELD since aliens fell under their purview. The next morning, he went for a walk in the woods near the school while he called his parents. They were happy to hear from him but also nervous wrecks thanks to the ICC prosecutor informing them that they may have to testify. Mark said “I don’t know how much I can tell you but the Shi’ar are coming to Earth to see justice done so, one way or another, they won’t be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

“How are you doing, Mark?”

“I’m great, I might have to talk to someone to make sure they don’t put me on the witness list because I’m not sure my control can withstand that kind of stress but I’m doing fine, dad. Oh, there’s one more thing. Am I on speaker?”

His mother answered “Yes.”

“I went through the files yesterday and I found something interesting. According to the program’s files, only one Lucas is dead.”

“What?” asked his sister.

“Before I answer that, I have to ask which twin you are.”

“Ashley.”

“Amber’s alive. They literally lost her, as in lost track of her. I’m gonna talk to Karnak’s wife as soon as I can, I want her help on a project, and I’ll see if she can find Amber.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure the files say Amber is MIA, I’m not sure if Jen will be much help. Hopefully, I didn’t miss my guess on who Jen is. Before you ask, I doubt Jen and Amber are the same person.”

“No, Jen is Holden Radcliffe’s daughter.”

“She’s whose kid?”

“Holden Radcliffe and Agnes Kitsworth’s daughter.”

“That tracks with my suspicions. I’ll let you know if things pan out.”

“Mark, be careful.”

“I will. I’ll see you soon.”

“Hopefully under better circumstances?”

“No, hopefully under worse.”

“What are you planning?” asked Ashley.

“A DNA scanner, I’ll tell you more later. For now, I got work to do.”

“Bye, Mark.” They exchanged farewells and Mark hung up before heading back inside.

Jen was in the kitchen when he went there for breakfast, “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“The experiment you were subjected to was intended to recreate my sister’s powers, if you were wondering; the program that tried to weaponize me backed Cole.”

“I was, thanks.”

“Now, I need something from you. First, did you found the Rising Tide to help with your father’s research?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever worked with facial recognition?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I want to use Jean’s DNA sequencer to isolate the base DNA we all share so I can make a scanner to find unmarked graves, working from just over 35000 ft.”

“Your scanner would be mounted to a plane then.” Jen connected the dots “You want me to make a program for identifying human remains using the principles of facial recognition?”

“Not exactly. I’m sure someone of your calibre wouldn’t use the usual databases.”

“I already have a program I can base it on, as I’m sure you know.”

“More of an educated guess. I could also use your help ensuring the scanner is used only by SHIELD, they’re the only agency I trust at all.”

“Of course. Do you want to operate the scanner yourself?”

“No. While I trust SHIELD, I don’t trust myself that much right now.”

“I’ll see if we can get Hunter Cassidy on this project, he’ll understand.”

“I’m tired of people telling me Hunter Cassidy will understand.”

“Sorry, did Karnak say the same thing?”

“Yeah.” Mark took a few calming breaths before he explained “I don’t even know who to talk to about this but I can’t testify at the trials, I can’t be there when they find my baby brother. I just, there’s all these things I’ve told myself I’d do if I had the chance and now I realize, I can’t do half of them because of my powers. Everyone knows emotions trigger powers. I wasn’t even upset when I almost collapsed my apartment building. Who knows what I could do if I had to recount everything I know about the program, if I had to tell a panel of judges how people I trusted killed my baby brother for science. I can’t do it and it was one of my goals in life to look the monsters in the eyes and say you don’t scare me, to turn the tables on them.”

“I get it, sort of. There were complications with my birth that led doctors to discover my mother had brain cancer. My dad became so obsessed with saving her that he lost both of us. I founded the Rising Tide to help. Freedom of information serves the greater good was sorta our motto. I thought if I found the solution then we could be a real family.”

“Then you realized you’d already lost that.”

“Yeah, I did. Then I met Karnak and- members of the Royal Family have to be properly educated. In my studies, I found the solution. With Dr. Cassidy’s help, my mother was saved. We were a happy family. When we brought my parents to Attilan, I kinda broke down again. I think that’s what’s happening to you.”

“That I came to accept a fact and now that that feeling of resignation is negated, I’m struggling with the new truth of the matter?”

“You said it better than I could.”

“The program I was in was looking to weaponize geniuses. I had summer classes that taught us emotion, I might even be able to get a psych degree with that knowledge.”

“About that.” Scott joined them in the kitchen “Instead of making you take equivalency tests, which would only emphasize your unorthodox education, they’re going to use your school records to determine what degrees you actually deserve.” He pulled a gatorade out of the fridge “And while you might make the witness list, Hank’s pretty sure they’re not going to call you or any of your family. Right now, they’re working on getting witnesses and victims out of high risk areas; for your family, they’re just issuing orders to stay away and offering WitSec protection.”

“Awesome. Are they differentiating between people who willingly joined and people who were forced into it?”

“I think so. Hank called it a political nightmare. I think he wants you to stay out of sight until they finish tracking down everyone involved.”

Mark said “Thanks, Scott. I’m gonna-”

“You’re going to eat something before you and Jen get to work on the scanner.”

“Fine.”

Jen said “Once we copy the code, we can use my workspace in Attilan.”

“What was that room originally?”

“I don’t know, I couldn’t really get a straight answer. I think it was part of the original planetary defense system but before that, no idea.”

“Alright. I’ll meet you up there.” Mark ate a cup of yogurt, got his computer and copied the code before taking the portal up to Attilan. Uploading the code to the console, he set to work editing without a word. Beside him, Jen modified her facial rec program to identify remains. After a few hours, Maximus tapped Mark on the shoulder. Glancing at the super soldier, he put an arm out in front of his partner “Time to eat.” They took a short lunch break, rushing back to work. In two days, they finished the coding.

Downloading the program onto his laptop, Mark asked Jen “How are we gonna do this?”

“I’m going to meet with Director Coulson and Hunter Cassidy about using the scanner. If you design the scanner then Hunter can build it and I can personally upload the code.”

“Sounds like a plan. Got an external hard drive?”

“If you leave a copy on the console then I can take it with me.”

“Done.”

A week after Mag shared his database, SHIELD was flying planes equipped with special scanners over designated search areas. The scanner identified bodies with a high rate of accuracy, giving hundreds of families closure. The most shocking discovery was the presence of Murderworld victims. When the news hit them, Hunter said “That explains why there’s no record of me and Bobs being found,” before leaving the room to call his family.

Mark stood with Maximus in front of Attilan’s portal, “Can you operate the portal in Lai Shi?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I need to make a stop there.”

Maximus opened the portal to Lai Shi and followed his friend through “I’ll wait here.”

“Where does Bronaja live?” The prince gave him directions. Arriving at the residence, Mark knocked on the open door frame, “Amber?”

The woman inside ran over to give him a hug “Mark!”

Her brother dodged “As much as I would love to catch up, Maximus is waiting for us by the portal; mom, dad and Ashley are waiting on the other side.” He turned to the brunette man “Bronaja, you’re welcome to join us.” Turning back to Amber, “We thought you were dead.”

“Mark,” she wrapped her arms around him, “They wanted you to think that.”

“They- SHIELD found- please, just come back with me, just for tonight. Let them see you’re alive.”

She straightened “Okay.” Turning to Bronaja, “You coming?”

Her soulmate nodded, “I’ll grab our bags.” Maximus advised them to keep bags packed after noticing the resemblance between the twins.

In the portal chamber, Maximus acknowledged “Good to see you, Bronaja.”

“You too, Maximus.”

They went through the portal together and Mark led them to the house. He held a hand over the doorknob, unlocking the door as they went inside. Ashley saw them come in, running over “Amber!”

Bronaja stood awkwardly off to the side while the Lucas family had their reunion. Taylor Lucas noticed him first “And who’s this?”

He offered his hand “Bronaja, sir. I’m Amber’s soulmate.”

Taylor ignored the hand, going for a hug instead “Thank you, son.”

“Not a problem, sir.”

“We’re family, Bronaja. You can call me Taylor.”

His wife said “And I’m Leah,” hugging the Inhuman seer.

Amber told them “Bronaja is a seer and his gift is triggered by touch.”

Leah said “Oh.”

Bronaja quickly cut in “It’s not a problem, Leah.”

“Now for the bad news.” Mark pulled an envelope out of his bag, “They found the body.”

Taking the envelope, Leah fell back onto the couch “This is- thank you.”

Ashley said “The scanner, you created that.”

“It was a team effort. I made the search software, Jen made the identification program and another engineer built the device based on my designs.”

“Another engineer? You don’t know who.”

“Jen acted as a go-between for us. I’ve kinda been avoiding SHIELD.”

“Oh.”

“If there’s just three bedrooms, I’ll take the couch.”

Taylor said “I know you didn’t know your brother-”

Ashley cut in “If you take the couch, I’ll take your room so Amber can have our room.”

“Sounds good.” Mark set his bag on the coffee table. “I’m gonna go find somewhere safe.” He hurried out of the house.

Ashley explained “Mark partially collapsed his apartment building after Terrigenesis, he’s afraid of losing control like that.”

“Oh, I didn’t think-”

“Just don’t mention it when he gets back.”

“Right.”

They shared a tense dinner before bed. The next day, Mark was working on his laptop when the others woke up and trickled out to the kitchen for breakfast. Ashley made him pop tarts and wordlessly set them on the coffee table beside him. A few hours after everyone woke up, Leah asked her son “What are you working on, Mark?”

“Identifying alien survivors so we can get more testimony.”

“Why? So you don’t have to testify?” asked Amber.

“Yeah. Maybe there won’t be a trial with all the bodies SHIELD found.”

Taylor said “They dug up the bodies pretty fast.”

“Actually, I’m not sure if they have dug the bodies up but Jen’s software is supposed to eliminate John and Jane Does.”

“Oh.” Taylor said “And once they dig ‘em up then they’ll have to do an autopsy.”

“Possibly, I’m not sure.”

“Okay, son.”

“I used to think the program failed with me, since I discovered the truth and overcame their attempt to weaponize me then I realized, they succeeded in driving a wedge between us. I just want to put this- I want to have this over and done with before we try to rebuild that bridge.”

“Okay.”

Mark rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and zoned out, focusing on his work.


	15. Defense

Three days, the Lucas family was reunited for three days before Amber and the Inhumans left. Mark went back up to Attilan to work. He heard Jen ask Maximus “Are you sure about this?”

The engineer said “The trouble with the defense grid is twofold. First, we have relays that were launched and left alone instead of being maneuvered into place as intended. Second, they were made by multiple entities working independently. I looked it up, the project was set up as a challenge and all entries were accepted. What we’re going to do is adjust the alignment of certain relays before syncing their operating systems using a translation program we employed during the Talos mission. Once the unified defense grid is complete, we’ll move on to implementing a translation software into the Inhuman communication network, thus setting a precedent for our next project.”

“Which is?”

“Picking up alien news signals, which will have to be translated. We’ll need to work with Hunter for the Terran translator.”

“Right, and you’re willing to wait for that.”

“I have some other projects to keep my mind busy. Before I leave today, I’m going to update the Shi’ar on the trial date so I can update Corsair’s family on his ETA.”

“Corsair’s family?”

“Corsair’s real name is Christopher Summers, widower and father of three sons: Alex and Scott Summers as well as Cody Gabriel Robertson.”

“So Cody is Cyclops’ brother?”

“Cody’s codename is Vulcan as in the Roman God of Fire and source of the word volcano. Alex’s codename is Havok and he was one of the first X-Men along with his soulmate Beast, better known as Hank McCoy. And y’know, Scott’s soulmate Jean Grey is the Phoenix.”

“Right.”

He returned to the Institute an hour before dinner. He asked Scott “Is Hank here?”

“Yeah, I’ll call him.” They met in the headmistress’s office.

“Before I left Attilan, I updated the Shi’ar on the trial date. They intend to arrive a week beforehand. I actually spoke to Corsair and Havok will be with them, he seemed a bit evasive so I wouldn’t count on him- your dad staying when the Shi’ar leave.”

“Thanks.” When Scott turned an inquisitive look on him, Cody said “He didn’t have to call them or ask for Corsair.”

“Oh, that reminds me, apparently both Havok and Corsair speak Shi’ar with native fluency.”

“You’re sure it’s them?” asked Scott.

“I’m sure you can check when they get here but if you wanna do a voice match, I recorded the whole thing.” At Cody’s look, he said “I should’ve offered to begin with.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it’s all in Shi’ar and when I asked about- well you’ll see, he said something about cloning.”

Mark opened his laptop on the desk and selected the recording, skipping to Corsair’s part. The man sounded young and even though they couldn’t understand the words, it was obvious their friend immediately asked about that. Corsair laughed as he answered, redirecting the conversation. They could all hear the meaning behind words they didn’t understand, mostly from personal experience with Hunter and Maximus. After the conversation with Corsair ended, Mark closed the file and his laptop. Cody asked “Did that sound right? I really don’t know.”

The Inhuman rolled his eyes “He mentioned cloning, I doubt they would age a clone anymore than absolutely necessary. They made you 14 when they could’ve made you any age.”

“Oh, right.”

“I heard the Allied Forces program was disbanded,” Mark looked at Hank “How does that work with our contracts? Who gets the stuff we picked up on exploration? I’m only asking because there are a few things that need to be transferred to SHIELD for security purposes.”

“Yeah. There’s this box that cannot, under any circumstances, be opened. I’m pretty sure Mark and Maximus made it nearly impossible to open but, y’know, just to be safe maybe we should send stuff like that to SHIELD. Time is of the essence since it’s gonna take time to round up everyone involved in the scandal with Mag and even more time to separate the conscripts from the enlistees.” An awkward, amused expression crossed Scott’s face, prompting his little brother to ask “What am I missing?”

Alice said “Alex was in ‘Nam, wasn’t he?”

Scott nodded “Yeah. Mystique impersonated Trask’s military guy to get Alex and the other mutants out of there.”

“No good deed goes unpunished.”

Mark swallowed and crossed his arms, focusing on Hank “Who do I talk to to get the box moved? Who do I talk to about safety measures? Who is in charge of the cargo from the Talos? I don’t care about getting paid. Honestly, money is one of the last things I care about but we need to get some things moved and we need to get agencies coordinating so we don’t have HYDRA the sequel.”

“Right, I’m not actually sure but I can look into it for you.”

“If the box gets opened, the world will end. You’re not doing me any favors that won’t benefit you.”

Faith said “It’s a figure of speech and you know that.”

“I’m using about half of my energy to keep my powers in check so I don’t destroy the planet myself. I’m too tired to care about that.”

“Right.”

“Oh,” Mark snapped his fingers “I also modified Cody’s suit to work with his powers. If you could get that then he could clean up Chernobyl and any other nuclear disaster zones.”

Cody said “Right, I didn’t even think of that.”

“I wouldn’t recommend trusting him to know when he’s done. I mean, I’m sure he can sense energy but since he misidentified his mutation, he hasn’t had much practice with that. He can drain nuclear energy, I think. I’m sure you can check to make sure before you send him but, what’s the alternative? Wait decades for nature to run its course.”

“Thank you,” said McCoy.

As Mark left, Scott remarked “He’s so much like Hunter, it’s scary.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't decided what Amber is. Is she a mutant, mutate, or Inhuman? It'll depend on reader response. (think about it, she has a mutant sister and an Inhuman brother, then they tried to make Jen just like her so it's anyone's guess what she classifies as). I have a headcanon for her first meeting with Bronaja that I wouldn't mind writing a chapter for along with things like Jen and Louise's powers/parents. There will be some references to those details, let me know if you want them expanded. Next stop: the Shi'ar return.


	16. Treason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody on the crew commits Treason.

Mark worked with Jen in Attilan a lot after his return, taking breaks to get his license back and answer questions about his work. For the most part, Crystal and Pietro lived planetside close to his sister Wanda who had retired from the Avengers. Maximus and Auran were happy to find their home in Lai Shi was still there for them, opting to move back instead of staying in Attilan. Since the major princes and princesses didn’t live in the palace, there was room for Mark to crash there rather than take the portal down to the school at odd hours. He retained American citizenship, paying for an apartment and getting his license back after it expired during the mission, but he stayed in Attilan so he could work unhindered. Jen was very helpful, though he suspected she bought into the hype around his alias.

Before Majestrix Lilandra was set to depart from Chandilar, the Shi’ar throneworld, Mark’s probe- set to catch messages for Terra by picking up on keywords- caught talk of treason. The Inhuman engineer awoke to the message waiting to be translated, which signified importance according to a program he and Jen made as most messages were converted to text and translated automatically with errors to be fixed later. Listening to the recording, he saved it to his virtual network and turned to his colleague, “We have a problem.”

“What?”

“Our program picked up on some radio chatter about treason in the Shi’ar Empire. I think the program prioritized it because the double-speak involved confused the translator.”

“Mark,” she put a hand on his shoulder “In layman’s terms.”

“Lilandra was sent to a part of space infamous for slavery, as in they can enslave anyone, and according to the message, she was replaced by a doppelganger. We don’t have the full message because the probe only records certain keywords but I think the timing is intentional. Terra, I mean Earth is isolated. Lilandra is set to come here soon and what better way to fix any problems with the cover.”

“Can you call Corsair directly?”

“Uh, maybe. I probably should’ve done that sooner, tried, I mean ‘cause he’s Cody and Scott’s father.”

“Try now.”

“Right.” Mark started typing quickly, following the probe into the Shi’ar communication system and searching for Starjammer networks to zero in on Corsair. “Major Summers?”

“Been a long time since someone called me that, Mag.”

“Well, I need you to use that to our advantage. Is there a way for you to precede the envoy using your past on Terra? Because, we need to talk.”

“So talk?”

“Face to face and Hank’s been asking a lot of questions I can’t answer about Shi’ar customs that I’m sure you can.”

“It’s urgent.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I’ll make the requests but I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure.”

“You got files on the Starjammers?”

“Not a lot of individual files but yeah, I have yours.”

“Then you know about Hepzibah.”

“Your girlfriend, yeah. You want me to brief your sons on that?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Alright but, if at all possible, you need to bring your wife’s body back. I don’t know what they put in your graves but she should be put to rest by Terran customs if possible.”

“It’s not possible. Wait, how are we talking?”

“Major, how do you think I opened communication with the Shi’ar?”

“Right. I’ll put in that request, you brief my boys.”

“You just bring your family with you on your scouting mission or whatever you wind up calling this.”

“Will do, Mag.”

“I’m cutting the connection now.”

When he stopped typing after pulling out of their system, Jen asked “Why does he call you Mag?”

“Because I told him to, when he asked me to call him Corsair. Now, I have to find the relevant files and head down to Terra. Think they’ll be available?”

“Maybe wait until you know what to say then I’m sure Jean will make the time.”

“She can’t read my mind.” He quickly explained “Not because I won’t let her, it causes a headache for both of us. She said it’s like my mind is covered by Magneto’s helmet and surrounded by static, or something. I’m not sure but we both have to focus to allow it, which eliminates the usefulness of telepathic communication.”

“Oh, wow.”

“I think it’s because I naturally generate an electromagnetic field but she said stronger minds are harder to read to begin with so maybe that has something to do with it.”

“Okay. Let’s back up, do you know how you’re going to explain Hepzibah?”

“The truth, that Corsair is involved with a member of his crew and wants them to know before he comes, I’ll let them know I asked him to come sooner than we planned because I need to talk to him about something. Do you think I should tell them what that something is?”

Jen sighed “You are so much like Hunter Cassidy, it’s scary.”

“Scott said that, not to me directly but he knew I could hear him.”

“Okay, so because they know the Cassidys and the Robertsons know you, that should work. It’s not how most people would break the news but it’ll work. As for the other thing, yeah, I think you should tell them, especially if you need them for your plan.”

“Alright. I’m heading down.”

He found them in a staff meeting, “Since when is Hank staff?”

“Mark, what’s going on?” asked Cody then clarified, “I mean, why are you here?”

“Oh, right. I’d like to be as clear as possible so just be patient. I intercepted a bit of communication that sounds like someone has staged a coup. Since I didn’t know where to go from there, I asked Jen, who suggested I try to call Corsair. I followed our probe- Lilandra authorized it for interplanetary communication- to the Starjammers’ network and from there, your dad’s com. I haven’t told him what’s going on, just that he needs to get here before the envoy and there are a few excuses he can use, namely he’s from here and has two kids here. Anyway, he said he’d make the request and asked that I tell you about Hepzibah. According to the Starjammer files that Lilandra sent after that first call, Corsair and Hepzibah are a couple. He gave her that name because her actual name is unpronounceable, due to her species using scent not speech to communicate. They’re both founding members of the Starjammers, and while I don’t have a file on her specifically, I do have the Starjammer file translated as well as Corsair’s file. So yeah.”

Setting the personal matter aside, Cody asked “What exactly did you overhear? Figure of speech, don’t correct me.”

“The program we use to receive messages uses the principles of talk-to-text to prepare messages for the translator. There are a few criteria that Jen and I came up with to flag messages as high priority, in which case they’re left as spoken so I can listen to them since I speak Shi’ar and the auto-translate is super inaccurate.” He held up his hand to keep Cody from interrupting, “I told you to be patient. I don’t know if the message in question was flagged because the translator actually caught onto the importance or the double speak involved confused the program. Either way, it seems Lilandra was replaced by a doppelganger and sent to the Forbidden Zone as you like to call it.”

“Forbidden Zone?” prompted Jean, looking at Cody.

“It’s a part of space known for one thing: slavery. I call it the Forbidden Zone because any map you get that includes it, gives the name and off-limits.”

“Terran maps actually do call it the Forbidden Zone, seems your name caught on.”

“Terra has that kind of map?”

“Y’know the more, what do they call themselves, benevolent aliens will give primitive planets some guidance as they begin to venture beyond their own borders.”

“Right.”

Alice explained “The zone is off limits because the slavers will take any trespassers into the trade. But Lilandra must be pretty prominent, how could they sell her?”

“I imagine her replacement will only be impersonating her for a period of transition. Let’s just be thankful whoever’s doing this, and I have my suspicions, timed it around the summit here on Terra. That was probably to work out any kinks in the disguise but it works to our advantage.”

Faith said “And if push comes to shove, you can claim the throne as Lilandra’s consort.”

“I’d only do that temporarily. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I really don’t like being the boss. In fact, when I was Mag, my sister made most of the decisions in my name. She just consulted me and played the part of second in command. Then I stopped being Mag and she still did it, although now she used both her alias and mine so she’s sorta working for herself. I’m told the transitions were so smooth that most people didn’t notice there was a new boss.”

“Transitions, plural?”

“Yeah. Arc pulled out when my sister took over.”

“Right.”

“My Arc is a technopath, Ashley’s Arc is a hacker and nobody noticed the change.”

“Wow.”

Mark looked at Scott “Cody didn’t know your parents, neither did Hank or Jean, much less Alice or Faith; and I’m rambling. I asked your dad to bring your mom’s body back, told him I didn’t know what went in the graves but she should be put to rest by Terran customs. He said it wasn’t possible, I’m not sure that he plans to annul his own death certificate. I do know that Alex is definitely coming with him, and I’d bet he’s staying. So, there’s that.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I’ll know more if Corsair can leave a message but count on him being here before the envoy.” He turned to Hank, “And try to get Cody in to clear Chernobyl. At this point, I think he’s our best bet to get Lilandra here before the envoy. Him and Hunter’s portal, maybe send someone in with him to call the portal if that’s even possible. Otherwise, we’ll need to send some air so he can fly her back.”

“Alright.”

Faith rolled her eyes fondly, “You don’t like being the boss?”

“I’m not really good with sacrifice and I’m not going to start a civil war by claiming the Shi’ar throne if I don’t have to.”

Changing the subject, Cody said “Remember when we discussed familial titles with Maximus?”

Faith asked “What?”

“Okay, so we were in the lounge part of the ship: me, Mark and Maximus, and it hit me. Medusa and Black Bolt are cousins, meaning Maximus and Crystal are also cousins. I wondered how that worked if Crystal or Auran had a kid, since their in-laws are also their cousins. I asked and we debated it, I don’t remember the whole conversation but I do remember mentioning how I technically have three families: my blood family, my adoptive family, and my in-laws. Anyway, we eventually decided that sometimes English can’t cut it.”

“Is that when you started calling Earth Terra all the time?” asked Scott.

“I don’t know, I think we picked up that habit when we started using Kree all the time. Terra is what aliens call Earth, y’know.” Cody shrugged “Getting to my point, is Lilandra the only royal Shi’ar? You said you thought the doppelganger was just there for the transition and that only works if they have a replacement waiting, someone who could claim the throne permanently. If you’re worried about a civil war because you’re not Shi’ar then that’s gotta be a Shi’ar.”

“Lilandra mentioned a sister.”

“Anything specific or were you comparing family trees?”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that anyway since I was only aware of one little sister in passing. She mentioned her sister in the context of losing the only family she had left, D’Ken, to madness. I assume her sister went insane and thus cannot inherit the throne.”

“That’s all you know.”

“No, that’s not all I know.” Mark glared “While we were in space, I had the foresight to check on the Shi’ar, hence how I knew about the Starjammers who didn’t exist before D’Ken made moves against Terra. Their parents had a total of three daughters and one son. One parent and the youngest daughter was killed by their firstborn, who was stripped of her name and exiled. I assume stripped of her name means she lost her royal standing. As with most things, there was only a vague reference to it since Lilandra’s reign was more important.”

“So her sister’s still alive?”

“I honestly don’t know, I think this is one of those things where they were erased from history.”

“O-kay.”

“Corsair would know, the Starjammers are known for helping take down D’Ken and being rewarded with amnesty. Hence, him being in a position to precede the envoy.”

“Right.”

Mark asked “How much of that conversation on familial titles do you remember because we did get into different levels of sibling bonds?”

“I remember how to say brother like brotherhood, respectfully and metaphorically in a way not dissimilar to fealty.”

“You even remember what we called it, good job.”

“I also remember how to say brother and sister in regards to in-laws, blood siblings and adoptive siblings. I’m still not sure if Luke and Scott are considered relatives or not.”

“I can’t help you there.” Mark turned to Faith “Want me to shore up your papers so that you-know-who can’t target you to get to me or whatever other tricks they got up their sleeve?”

“If you’re worried then sure.”

Cody asked “Can you do that for me too?”

“Sure.” He smirked as the soldier’s expression changed “Did you just realize you’re about 14 years younger than you thought you were?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Look on the upside, you’re not actually amnesiac. Downside, I’m not sure how to set up your records to allow for the eventual update you’ll need to goad Corsair into helping with.”

“Oh, right.”

“I can shore up your records to hide your work as Vulcan, if you want.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Alright then. I’ll email you when I get an update.”

As he turned to leave, Cody said “Oh this is ridiculous. Faith, he’s waiting for you to make the call.”

“What call?”

From the doorway, Mark turned around, took a step inside and leaned against the wall. Cody sighed and explained “Think about it, Faith. He’s eligible to claim the Shi’ar throne, temporarily, because he’s technically a consort to Majestrix Lilandra. They were soulmates then time, distance and Terrigenesis took that away. You two were practically a couple for months before Maximus clued Mark in by asking about your future wedding. He’s not good at picking up cues, I doubt he knows whether you’re still dating. I don’t know if you’re still dating since he lives in Attilan and you live in the apartment he got for his license. You two need to figure it out before his ex-soulmate gets here.”

“Cody, neither one of us is good at emotions, it comes with the territory.”

“Whatever. You two need to talk is all I’m saying.”

Mark asked Cody “Do you know how to calculate your own age?”

“Uh, not really since I don’t know my actual birthday. Is birthday even the right word since I wasn’t technically born? What would be the right word? Aw, man, I’m officially lost.”

“Subtract fourteen from your legal age.”

“Y’know, it’s not realizing I don’t have amnesia that bothers me.”

“It’s realizing you were four when you thought you were 18 and enlisting in the Army.”

“Yeah. Now, I think you and Faith need to talk things through before you rush off to your next project.”

“Agreed.” Mark asked Faith “Do you mind if I email Hank the designs for Cody’s suit while we talk?”

“No.”

“Great.” They left together, already talking about their status and next moves.

Alice said “I didn’t even realize you were a child soldier until you mentioned it.”

“Were?”

“Subtract fourteen from your legal age.”

“Oh.” Cody turned to Jean “Right, have we covered everything you needed Faith for?”

“Luckily, Faith and Alice can just renew or replace their licenses.”

“This is a publicly recognized mutant/Inhuman safe haven. Do I need a degree to work as a mentor?”

“You should get a basic degree.”

“I have that.”

“What?”

“I should ask Mark to send you a copy of my complete file before he buries it. Since I had no background to speak of before I was fourteen, which includes school records, the state set me up with a tutor to bring me up to grade level. The tutoring only covered what I needed to advance but it was still like ten years’ worth. The high school I wound up in allowed students to test out of classes at the start of the term. Anyway, I actually graduated early. To hide my training for the Vulcan thing, my records were altered to say I graduated on time with a normal GPA.”

“You did graduate with a normal GPA,” reminded Alice.

“Yeah but the one they gave me was a bit lower.”

“Okay,” Jean said “So you have a degree but it’s hidden because of the Olympus Group.”

“Yeah, pretty much. Mark will dig that up, hopefully, and we can work it into my official records.”

“I’m sure he will.”

“Graduating early always gets you a scholarship was my point with that whole story.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Thanks.” With the roles of the three Talos crew members set (Cody would help with training, Alice would be a full time doctor and Alice would teach science), the meeting was officially called to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing with the intent of bringing the Shi'ar to Earth so we could get the trial underway. Next thing I know, I'm ten pages in and a member of the Shi'ar race has yet to make an appearance. I'm going to split what I have into sections and hopefully, Lilandra will make an appearance two chapters from now but I don't know. I could summarize the events of this chapter and the next to get there now but there's a bit of character building and it's not like any of it is irrelevant, as far as I can tell.  
> In other news, I plan to begin editing Children of Arcade once I get all the chapters I have in the works for this posted. Key phrase: plan to; I planned to feature the Shi'ar in this chapter. Lord knows what will derail my plans for the parent work.


	17. Chernobyl

Once Hank arranged clearance, Cody took the portal to Chernobyl. Walking around the Exclusion Zone, he kept his eyes closed as he focused on drawing energy from the air. When he had enough energy, Vulcan began to fly and absorb more energy. Hank had worked a geiger counter into his suit to measure the input in order to quantify his limits for his X-Men file. The new suit Mark was working on included eyewear not unlike his brother’s visor to hide the glow his eyes emitted when he used his powers but for now, they were using a slightly modified suit from the Talos mission. The more energy Vulcan absorbed, the faster he moved and the faster he moved, the faster he absorbed energy. Within hours, he cleared the Zone and landed outside the reactor “How’d I do?”

On coms, Hank said “Teams are moving in now to test, keep going.”

“On it.” He walked inside, drawn towards the source of the energy. Reaching out with both hands, he began draining the radiation, his eyes closed the entire time.

As he finished, Hank told him “Stay there.”

“What?”

“Before this operation was cleared, systems were put in place to monitor radiation output. You are currently radioactive and as such, you must wait for the field team to clear you.”

“In case I’ve become a walking nuclear disaster. Do they have someone who speaks English? I don’t speak Ukranian and you said a translator wasn’t, something.”

“Advisable,” Alice reminded him “Relax, V, I’m sure they’ve taken that into account.”

“What if they’re right to worry?”

“Then you’ll fly into space and blow up some asteroids but the more worked up you get, the more likely you’ll overload.”

“What I do is not really overload, is it?”

“Nah, I doubt it. Hank?”

The diplomat said “At the very least, they’ll have a translator. You can meet them outside if you like, the plant is not very structurally sound.”

“Right.” He made his way out.

“You can also open your eyes, the glow they emit is simply light.”

Vulcan obediently opened his eyes and quickly closed them as he saw a car swerve “I think I’ll wait until that field team you mentioned parked. Are they supposed to be here already?”

“A team was directed to assess the new radiation signature.”

“AKA me.”

Someone nearby cleared their throat and Vulcan tentatively opened his eyes; looking skyward for a moment just to be safe, not that he thought he’d suddenly develop his brother’s power. When he looked at the source of the sound, he belatedly realized he was flying. “Do you speak English?”

The woman nodded then spoke in accented English “You are Vulcan?”

“Yes.” He knew how hard a foreign language could be, although he was quite fluent in Kree.

“My team needs to scan you.”

“Do you need me to land?”

Faith said “He’s flying?” then realized the coms were still on “Sorry.”

“That would be appreciated.” Sounds like a high fluency, maybe she uses English a lot in her work.

Vulcan looked down and around before landing in an area free of debris from the building. When he looked back at the woman, she looked mildly impressed and he realized he hadn’t got her name. “How does this work? Do you guys just scan and make sure I won’t poison another part of the planet when I fly away?”

“Essentially, yes. If our scans reveal you are giving off too much radiation to safely fly away, we will lead you to a specialized containment center.”

“Containment center?”

In his ear, Hank said “Stop talking. I need to make a call.”

Alice said “You can tell her you’ve been ordered not to silence.”

“Uh, nevermind.” A few minutes later, the team of scientists were recalled. Once he was sure they were gone, Vulcan asked “What just happened?”

“They weren’t going to clear you because they wanted to study you.”

“They didn’t know I could release the energy?”

“I didn’t see a reason to tell them that you could do more than absorb and repurpose energy.”

“If I was like Cyclops and Havok, able to generate energy, you would’ve left that out too. Are we cleared for the other level seven thing?”

“Yes, though I think you should hold off on that.”

“I agree, especially until you can negotiate terms to ensure this doesn’t happen again but I’m not gonna wait twenty years. I understand politics is, like, the definition of a long game but, these are lives we’re talking about. We got a whole bunch of space we can’t use because of radiation and I can solve that problem so I’m going to, with or without help. You just said I’m already cleared to do it but I don’t want to end up like Wolverine or Mag so terms would be good. Oh, can I fly back now or what?”

“You’re still giving off large amounts of radiation.”

“Mag, am I?”

“How did you-” Faith cut herself off, of course Mark was already hacking their system.

“Yeah but it’s not Cosmic, is it?”

“It’s Chernobyl. Where would the Soviets get cosmic power and why would it still be here?”

“Good point. Alright, I gotta run something by Beast- we’re supposed to use code names on coms, right?- I’m turning our coms off. Stand by.”

“Not much choice.”

Back at the X-Men base, Mark said “I know what Cody was asking when he echoed the phrase containment center, he was thinking it was somewhere to release the energy. The thing is, Doctor Doom has something for that. He has a system ready for Cody to drain and release energy, which would be contained by Latveria’s power grid. I gotta know if that’s a risk you’re willing to take because I’m not caught up on politics, I probably never will be since I didn’t follow politics much before Terrigenesis.”

“Latveria and Attilan are allies, they’re both very big on Enhanced rights. I’ll make the call. We need to keep Cody calm and those field teams away from him.”

“I can handle the field teams, how much rope do I have? Er, I mean, how far can I go with that?”

“I knew what you meant, I was Hunter’s science teacher.”

“Right and the answer is?”

“Keep them away without starting a war, avoid an international incident if you can but as you said, you don’t keep up with politics.”

“Alright, so making their vehicles unable to come within a couple miles, is that going too far?”

Hank took a few moments to think it over, “No but you’ll have to be ready to undo that so they can check the reactor after Cody leaves.”

“I can put it on a timer, does two hours work?”

“Yes.”

“Consider it done.”

Alice was already on coms, keeping her husband calm and distracted. When Hank finished his call, he asked Mark to turn his com back on “Sorry to interrupt but you’re clear through to Latveria. I can give you directions if you’d like, Doom has a device that can handle the output but you’ll have to let him direct you on the kind of energy and speed of the release.”

“Go to Latveria, let Doom talk me through getting rid of the excess, got it. Where’s the energy going?”

“Into the Latverian grid. Doom will know who you are.”

“I figured he would. Directions would be nice, should I start by finding the Atlantic?”

“No need, start by standing with your back to the building the reactor is in.”

“So you can know which way’s left to me?”

“Precisely.”

“In position.” Mark brought up a map of Eurasia with Latveria and Ukraine on the ends, a line through the map guided Hank’s directions. As Cody reported signs, occasionally having to describe the letters, the map got smaller. The further he got from Russia, the easier time he had reporting borders. When he neared the Latverian border, Hank handed the navigation job off to Mark while he called Doom to update the sovereign so the man could prepare his machine and/or meet Vulcan. The mutant landed outside Castle Doom, “Hey.”

“Follow me.” They went inside a mostly empty room with a handle on a raised pedestal in the middle. “Go there.” Vulcan almost wanted to roll his eyes at the instruction, there was nothing else in the room. He walked up to the handle and let his hand hover over it. “Can you mimic cosmic energy?”

“Yeah but the problem with cosmic energy is that it bonds so if I do that, you’re not gonna get as much power.”

“Why?”

“Because it bonds. Oh, right, right.” Vulcan sighed “That’s not the technical term. Cosmic energy bonds to the cells. If I turn the energy into cosmic rays, I won’t be able to release it all. Can you alter your machine to accept another form? Wouldn’t nuclear power be easier for the grid? I can’t imagine your whole country runs on cosmic energy, but I’m not a scientist so maybe it’s possible.”

“It is not, as of yet.” Doom turned to leave.

“Was that a yes or no on changing the machine?”

“I will recalibrate the machine. Stay here.”

“Okay.” Vulcan sat down next to the stand the handle came out of, guessing the metallic appearance of the room served a practical purpose.

After a long time- that was probably more like fifteen minutes but he was new at this living nuke thing- Doom’s voice came from the speakers, “Hold your hand over the device.” Vulcan stood up and obeyed, “I need to scan your energy to calibrate my machine.”

“I’m not giving off radiation. Huh, news to me but alright.” His eyes glowed as he tapped into the power.

“That is enough, grab hold of the handle and do not let go until I turn the machine off.”

“Do I get a say in how long that is ‘cause I didn’t drain Chernobyl just for fun?”

“If the machine is not off when you let go, there could be an accident. You must give me notice before you let go.”

“Alright.” Vulcan grabbed the handle and felt a pull, which he couldn’t decide if he liked, that made channeling the energy through that hand much easier. When he felt the excess was almost gone, he yelled “Now would be a good time to start easing off. Alright?”

“Understood.” The pull lessened until “You may remove your hand whenever you are ready.”

“Cool.” Leaving a little extra in reserve, he removed his hand and looked at it. “Not a mark, awesome. Hey, I’ll tell you about Galactus next time I’m here.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah, I’m guessing this machine’s pretty advanced and Chernobyl’s not the only nuclear disaster I could help out with. Once McCoy works out actual terms and gets it in writing, I was thinking I’d do this draining nuclear energy thing again. There’s another nuclear disaster like Chernobyl, right?”

“Fukushima.”

“Yeah so once we get terms set to make sure I can leave once I’m done, I figure I’ll go help out there.”

Doom appeared in the doorway, “Quite a noble endeavour.”

“You’re just happy I’m planning to give you the energy from that. How can your grid handle so much energy?”

“This,” he waved to the handle, “Was designed to handle cosmic power, which by its very nature is quite powerful.”

“Oh, I get it, sorta. So I’m good to go or do you need me for something? I’m guessing this machine ain’t used much and as long as I’m not trapped, I’m cool helping if there are tests you want to run.”

“That would be appreciated.”

“I’m guessing you got a ton of data when I came in, like from your suit and other stuff, so comparison shouldn’t be too hard.”

“I think not.”

“Okay. Lead the way, unless you’re running the tests here.”

“Follow me.”

Doom took him to a lab for a few tests, in which he refused to use the power he had left “I didn’t go to Chernobyl just to see if I could absorb the radiation. I mean I did it for that but not just that reason.”

“We are done.”

Vulcan offered his hand, “Thanks for your help.”

“You as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise Lilandra will appear in the next chapter


	18. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilandra makes an appearance, also more character building for Cody and a deeper look at his families

The mutant flew back to the school, “Are we ready to roll?”

Mark facepalmed then looked at his friend, gesturing between him and another man in a red alien suit, “Corsair, Vulcan. Cody Gabriel Robertson, Christopher Summers.”

“Why did you emphasize his middle name?”

“Because my adoptive parents changed my name from Gabriel to Cody.” Vulcan repeated his question “Are we ready to go? I thought we were on a clock.”

“We are,” Mark took a few deep breaths “The blond is your brother Alex, by the way.”

“Okay. Look, we all heard stories about the Forbidden Zone, how they make people forget they’re people so I’d like to get your ex-soulmate out before her usurper gets what they want.”

“Das’t. It’s so obvious. Alright, Hank can work the portal but you’re responsible for the return trip. Hopefully Lilandra still speaks English.”

Corsair said “Actually, I’m coming with him so you don’t have to worry about that.” He pulled a sword out of a gem on his gauntlet. “They’re pocket dimensions.”

“Okay.” Mark tossed him a helmet, “Don’t ask, just put that on and give me a moment to get the gear.”

Vulcan said “I’ll wait by the portal, I might have to charge up some more for the flight back, I think I gave too much energy to the grid.”

“We’re headed that way. You go on ahead so Hank can brief you on the mission parameters.”

As his son disappeared from sight, Corsair asked “What are we waiting for?”

“We need to grab another helmet. Fair warning, Vulcan can and will leave you behind, we can send you there through a portal but don’t expect a portal back if he takes off without you. Make sure he waits for Lilandra to get a helmet on, send him out to get more energy if need be.” He handed Corsair a black helmet with an air tank designed to clip onto clothes, “I’m pretty sure the Shi’ar need air and when Vulcan’s super charged, he doesn’t.”

“O-kay.”

“The whole mission is pretty simple but as almost anyone can tell you, simple doesn’t mean easy. Let’s go.” Tossing his friend a pair of dark goggles, Mark stood with Hank at the controls, “Vulcan, listen to Corsair when he translates.”

“Yeah, yeah. Think you can keep up, old man?”

“Course I can, son.”

Mark said “We’ve tracked Lilandra down to a specific planet but you both know how limited information on that sector is so, uh, fingers crossed we get you close.”

Hank held up two bulky watches, “Corsair, I’d recommend you and Lilandra wear these for stealth purposes.” He tossed the devices to the veteran. “Put one on and twist the face two clicks to engage the hologram.” Curious, Christopher did as asked and suddenly, his red spacesuit was replaced by a replica of a black X-Men uniform.

“Thank you.” Hank turned on the machine, having set the coordinates as soon as they’d been received.

“See you on the other side, Vulcan.”

“See ya, Mag.”

Once they were through, Hank powered down the machine, resetting the coordinates. Mark remarked to Hank “Until he made that joke, I was worried about him.”

In the Forbidden Zone, Vulcan crouched down among the nearby rubble. His military training and experience on the Talos enabled him to sneak into a lit building he heard screams coming from. From a tactical standpoint, he recognized Lilandra would be kept hidden during her ‘training’ and thus, led Corsair down to the underground levels. Stopping in a seemingly random corridor, he pressed himself close to the wall and put his hands on a light fixture. Through the light, he drained the building’s power, thankful for the goggles hiding his glowing eyes.

With the power out, he grabbed his father and pulled him out of sight as slavers ran past, cursing. Mentally counting out three hundred seconds (five minutes) since the last trainer passed, he led his father through the corridors. Moving swiftly, Vulcan kept stock of his surroundings as he searched for Lilandra, who he had only seen on video. Grabbing his father’s shoulder, he turned into a cell where the Empress was hanging limp from chains. Careful of her many injuries, he pressed his hand to her neck and gave her an energy boost. When she startled awake, he put his free hand over her mouth as Corsair whispered in her ear from behind. As she settled, he broke the chains and his father caught her, securing the watch before helping her with her helmet and putting his own on. He whispered something else and helped Majestrix Lilandra stand, “Ready, son?”

Vulcan put his hand on her wrist and fed her more energy so she could stand on her own before leading them both outside, his hand ghosting over the walls to take in more energy and keep the power out. Outside, he gestured for Corsair to take Lilandra away as he ran in the opposite direction. After draining every power source in the area (employing misdirection in the process) he met up with the other two and checked their air systems. Twisting the valve, he found himself glad they modified the helmets from the Talos since otherwise they would have wasted air waiting for him. “Ready to fly?”

Corsair translated and Lilandra nodded before his son wrapped his arms around them. His skin glowed and he realized he was generating an energy field about a moment before they blasted off. The return trip to Terra took a couple hours, tops, Vulcan made sure to pass as many suns as he could to keep his energy up without straying from the route too much. As they neared their destination, a slot opened in the defense grid to allow them through. At the school, the hidden hangar in the basketball court opened to give them easy access to the base. Alice was waiting with a stretcher, “Your foster sister called, Luke manifested and she’s not entirely sure what his gift is.”

“Please tell me she sued his father in the five years we were gone for going behind her back to gene-test.”

“I don’t know but she wants you to talk to him about his power.”

“I’m not going to.”

“Why not?”

“Because his stepfather is no better than his actual father.”

“Right. What does that have to do with this?”

“His actual father had him gene-tested. If his stepfather told his mother he manifested then he probably knows what the power is. If he doesn’t know, I’m not gonna let him know.”

“If he doesn’t know, he’ll just provoke the kid into using it.”

“Not all mutations are powers. Besides, neither of Luke’s fathers seem to remember his mom and I are both adopted.” Cody sighed “The bastard’s gonna put them in the hospital, if not the morgue. It’s the only way she learns.”

“What?”

“Y’know she’s a Blank who buys into that everyone has a soulmate thing a bit too much, it’s how she keeps ending up with these guys.” He sighed “I’ll talk to Jean, if she gives Luke a scholarship then I’ll go as a scout for the school and I won’t let the bastard say no for them.”

“See, compromise. Now I gotta get to work. Corsair, if you have a medic with Shi’ar experience, send him my way.”

The father-son pair left Dr. Robertson to rush Lilandra to the infirmary with Mark translating. Cody walked up to Jean “I know you heard everything, so about the scholarship?”

“We have openings and if you really think his stepfather’s liable to kill him then I don’t think we have much choice, even without knowing what his mutation is.”

“Great,” Cody turned to Mark, “The only way I can think of to get Skylar out too is if I could arrange a job for her and you just came into a lot of money so-” Crossing his arms, the engineer gave him a flat look and the mutant raised his hands in a placating gesture “She’s an accountant with a minor in business. I was gonna suggest you hire her to be your agent or whatever they’re called.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll look into her and call you with the answer. I assume you’re heading out tonight so you don’t get the call tomorrow saying Luke’s an orphan.”

“Course, though technically his father’s alive.”

Jean said “You’re gonna fly there, aren’t you?”

“Luke will think it’s awesome and his bastard of a pseudo-stepfather will be scared out of his mind. I’d almost borrow one of your suits and an image inducer so I can video the whole thing without him knowing but-”

“You can do that.”

“My powers won’t interfere.”

“No, I think you can focus it enough but if you’re really worried, you could take the portal there.”

“Right and just light up,” he held up his hand to demonstrate.

“You have a lot of control for someone who didn’t know the extent of their powers.”

“Mark made stuff to work with my powers, really helped me adjust. He and Maximus never seemed to mind too much when I was learning to charge things and melted them instead but then again, we were all of the impression Alice’s powers countered mine. Maybe Maximus knew better, that’s just the kinda thing he’d keep quiet about.”

“What was actually happening?” asked Alex.

“We bonded before I found out I was Omega Class, which apparently means she stabilized my power-”

“You stabilized each other,” corrected Jean.

“What?”

“Ever wonder why she doesn’t use her powers?”

“Hippocratic oath. She swore never to do harm or aid in death, right?”

“I suppose but I was thinking it had more to do with the close call she had after she manifested.”

“Are you telling me she’s the inspiration behind Elsa?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” His older brothers wore matching exasperated expressions. “As I was saying, I don’t think her powers countered mine so much as maybe stabilized them and her proximity calmed me. I don’t know, maybe we were right the first time. I’m gonna change. If things go south with Sky’s boyfriend, I want proof so he can’t sue me. Wish I had this kind of access when Luke was a baby, maybe his father would’ve been locked up before the gene test.”

“Why does the gene test bug you?”

“Two reasons, well kinda the same one actually. Sky’s parents were involved in one of those anti-mutant militias, they were also abusive and criminals in a very general sense. In fact, the militia was more a way to feel better about being crap people. She was, don’t quote me on this, like eight when her parents got arrested and she went into foster care, ten when the Robertsons became her foster parents and almost twelve when they got the green light to adopt. To be clear, the Robertsons adopted me outright after so much time passed that the absence of a missing person’s case turned into the presence of criminal neglect. Anyway, Luke’s dad justified the gene test by pointing out I’m a mutant and then brought her parents into it. I swear, if he hadn’t done that then I wouldn’t have much of a problem with how it happened, just the fact she didn’t have a say in a test being performed on her son. As it stands, he used her abusers and foster brother to justify it. When I say her current boyfriend is just as bad and that she won’t leave him without a trip to the hospital, I speak from experience. Bringing up her parents always makes her shut down, I had memory therapy that, as it turns out, was useless and she had regular therapy that seems to have been equally useless because the trigger, instead of upsetting her, makes her shut down. It’s freaky, I found out less than a year ago that instead of having a fourteen year memory gap, I am literally missing fourteen years and I still think it’s freaky that my foster sister pretty much has an off switch.”

“Cody, you definitely need to bring her back. I think the therapy was worse than it seems.”

“They were supposed to coax memories out of my subconscious and instead they got me to accept I might never find those memories, the therapists were very bad at their jobs.”

“I’m wondering if that was intentional.”

“Right. I’ll change and take the portal, give me an hour before you open it again. I’m sure Sky’s living at the same house she was five years ago.” He hurried to the locker room to do just that.

Jean turned to Scott, “You think Cody’s responsible enough to do this without getting arrested?”

“If Skylar is worried about Luke manifesting then I doubt Cody’s overstating the situation with her boyfriend.”

“I don’t doubt that. I’m wondering if Cody can manage this without getting arrested.”

“He’s a veteran who fought aliens, the cops will cut him some slack if they do get called.”

“Right.”

“I’m more worried about what Luke might do if the situation escalates or what Cody might be walking into if Luke’s manifestation has already reached his mom’s boyfriend.”

“I’ll check Cerebro.”

At Alex’s look, Scott shrugged. “Hank, how precisely can you open a portal with just an address? I doubt Cody has exact coordinates.”

“I’m sure I can look up coordinates with that.”

“Alright.”

“You do realize Cody’s gonna introduce you and Alex as his brothers, right? Might even tell Luke to consider Hank his uncle.” The brothers looked at Mark, who said “We weren’t chosen for the Talos mission for our specialties. Well, we were because it was a deep space mission, there are certain jobs that have to be filled for that. But,” he emphasized the word “Maximus and Auran made it very clear that they didn’t want a crew chosen for their stats. The whole training program we went through, that was as much about testing personalities as training personnel. We didn’t have a timeline so we need a crew that could get along indefinitely. This might sound vain but Cody and I were chosen because we’re naturally easy going. It’s hard not to like Cody but that same personality trait is the reason he should never go into politics, he’s too open.”

“You lost me,” said Alex.

Mark dumbed it down, “You are Cody’s brother, Luke is Cody’s nephew, Cody’s going to call you Luke’s uncles because you’re all family to him.”

“Okay, that was clear.”

“I also wanted to point out you won’t have a chance to correct him because he’ll be three topics away by the time you might catch it, he and I are so much alike.”

“Are you sure you’re not brothers?”

“Mm, maybe sixty percent sure since I have a habit of discovering siblings in progressively stranger ways but I’m gonna believe Cody is yours, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Don’t bring up Hunter, I’m tired of being compared to him, alright?”

“Okay, okay.”

“I’ll wait for Hank by the portal if you guys don’t need me here.”

‘Wha-”

Scott explained “He lives in Attilan, the Inhuman city on the moon. Hank told him to stay out of sight so he lives there and pays for Faith’s apartment. I guess they’re gonna live together once Mark can safely walk down the street and enter the apartment.”

“Alright. So Mark’s pretty rich?”

“He’s a genius inventor like Hunter, except he was exploited by his school so now as his work comes to light, he’s getting paid for it. Plus whatever the Talos mission promised.”

Cody went through the portal and interrupted Derek as he yelled at Skylar; looking at her face, he felt like he had wasted time talking to Jean. “Get out.”

“What? This is my house!”

Cody looked past him at Skylar “Did you get married and forget to tell me?”

“No.”

“Does he pay half the bills?”

“No.”

“Does he pay even a quarter of the bills?”

“No.”

“Does he pay any of the bills?”

“A little here and there.”

“Nothing consistent?”

“No.”

“Is he any better than Asher?” After a moment, she shook her head. Cody turned to Derek, “Give me your keys so my sister can have hers back.”

“No! You can’t-”

Cody crossed the threshold and backed him against a wall, thankful he was bigger than both of his foster sister’s bastard boyfriends. If he hadn’t been then he’d probably have a few assault charges on his record. Reaching into the man’s pocket, he pulled out a set of keys and handed them over to his sister “Take yours back then I’ll escort our friend here down the block while you and Luke pack. I’ll explain when I get back. Do you want to press charges?”

Hesitantly, she said “Yes. He threw Luke down the hall.”

“That complicates things; as does my being here but I’ll take him to the police station anyway.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t have anything on me.”

Cody turned the image inducer off, “Stark armor with built in camera. I saw you hit her, I heard part of your tirade, and I have proof.” Skylar handed the keys back to her brother, who turned his cloaking device back on. “Let’s go.” He carefully set his hand on Derek’s shoulder and walked him out, marching him all the way to the nearest police station. The other man kept up a loud stream of hateful words, which became punctuated by huffing breaths until the only thing keeping him upright was a desire not to be dragged.

At the station, Cody shoved him forward towards the desk sergeant then tapped his watch when the man looked up. “I need to file a complaint against this man, Derek Trenton. I watched him hit my sister, who says he threw her son down the hall after the boy manifested today. I have video of the whole thing, well the part I was present for.”

“Where does your sister live?” He gave the address. “And how did you get here?”

“We walked. He was screaming and cursing when I pulled him outside. I didn’t want to risk an accident with distracted driving and obviously, I couldn’t ask him to drive himself here.”

“Quite a hike. What is your name?”

“Corporal Cody Gabriel Robertson, R-O-B-E-R-T-S-O-N, US Army and Allied Forces, retired.”

“Allied Forces? What ship?”

“The Talos, named for either the Greek automaton or the Skrull leader, take your pick.”

“No way, you served with Maximus.”

“Directly under him. Can we get this over with? I told my sister I’d be back within an hour.”

“Right, right. What’s your sister’s name?”

“Skylar Robertson, same spelling obviously.”

“And your nephew?”

“Luke Martin, M-A-R-T-I-N. I tried to tell her to change it to Robertson when she got the restraining order.”

“Alright. I just need the video.”

“Give me your station information and I’ll have it sent over, I’m not sure how the embedded camera works.”

“Right.” The desk sergeant wrote down some information, “Give this to whoever gave you the camera.”

“Will do, sergeant. You got this guy?”

The dark skinned man behind the desk smirked at the clearly exhausted white trash, “Yeah, I don’t think he’s going anywhere in a hurry. You better hurry back, sir.” He stood to exchange salutes with the veteran.

Running back to the house, Cody made it with minutes to spare. He told Skylar “A portal is gonna come to pick us up. I met my birth father today, turns out my name was originally Gabriel Summers. Anyway, one of my brothers, Scott runs a school for mutants.”

“The Xavier school?”

“They call it the Jean Grey Institute now, apparently Charles’ soulmate made changing the name a stipulation on their inheritance but yeah, same school, just Headmistress Grey instead of Headmaster Xavier.”

“Okay.”

“You got your bags packed?”

“Yeah,” answered Luke. Cody picked up their bags and led them to the place the portal dropped him off just as another opened up “Perfect timing.” The introductions went well and Cody set them up in the guesthouse with the Starjammers (who still had their ship).

“What exactly is his power?” Skylar asked her brother after her son was in bed.

“He’s an illusionist, and a pretty powerful one considering Mark is more or less immune to psychic powers.” Cody smiled “He’s not Omega Class but then again, that’s pretty rare.”

“You’re Omega Class?”

“Like me and Jean, what are the odds the two most powerful mutants would be in-laws?”

She stifled a laugh “Good night, bro.”

“Night.”

Cody went back down to the underground base after everyone was settled to wait for his wife, Scott joined him with a tub of ice cream and two spoons. “How’s your sister?”

“I think Jean would know better than me but she seemed alright, I marched her boyfriend to a police station and didn’t get much time to explain things when I got back. I’m sure she’ll have questions tomorrow.”

“And we’ll answer them.”

“Yeah. Do you really think they brainwashed her?”

Scott shrugged “The therapist should lose their license if they only worsened her issues.”

“Alright.”

“You didn’t spend a lot of time with Alex, I was wondering if-”

“Nah, I know what you’re wondering and it’s not that. When I first learned what it is I do, Maximus had to shoot me to prove it because we were on a time crunch. The first time I used my actual power, I was standing on top of the Talos with three Kree worldkillers bearing down on me. I thought I was gonna be torn apart, the energy was so overwhelming and I vaporized the fleet just to get rid of that feeling. Passed out, stopped breathing and when we got going again, we worked my power into our plans; the only training I got was on the job. That feeling, being overwhelmed by the energy, I call that overload. I don’t like holding a lot of energy because it makes me anxious about overload. Knowing you and Alex hold all that energy, now I’m worried if I hold the energy then letting go will tire me out, like it’s an addiction. I don’t know but, it’s not Alex, it’s me.”

“I can’t say I get it but I hear what you’re saying.”

“I know before Jean unlocked her power, you had to wear glasses to keep the energy in so I think you might get it more than Alex.”

“The destructive, energy coming out of anywhere; that part, he’ll understand when you’re ready.”

“I’m not actually scared about that. I mean, I guess I do worry about being a new Chernobyl but, it’s the limitless part of being Omega Class that scares me the most.”

“Scares Jean too, if that helps.”

“It does, I guess. I’m not brooding, I’m waiting by the way.”

“I know, I just wanted to check in but if I’m being a bother, I can take my ice cream upstairs.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, big brother.”

“What was that last part?”

“Big brother? I told you Mark, Max and I talked about familial titles and decided English wasn’t enough. The word I used is a bit stronger but I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow after the tour.”

“Can I use it on Alex?”

“I said it’s stronger not insulting, I’m not sure what language but Alex might know.”

“Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear from the context, Das't is a Kree swear word.
> 
> Couple things to note about Luke. His name is a combination of Luke Castellan from the Percy Jackson series and Zach/Cody Martin from Suite Life of Zach and Cody/Suite Life On Deck. When I started writing the Talos crew, they had more than six members but I quickly realized that was too much for me to juggle so I dropped it down to Maximus and Auran plus another soulmate couple and two Blanks. Luke Martin was one of the names I had picked out for the crew then the idea for a family day hit me and I found a way to work him back into the story. Head-canon for Luke's mutation, illusionist, like Jason Stryker from X-Men 2.


	19. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy dorky Mark and domestic fluff

Mark Lucas tentatively took up residence in his apartment after Skylar walked him through the paperwork involved in buying the complex. He wanted to make sure he could always offer safety to people in trouble, it was one of the reasons he became Mag. Faith seemed to like having him around, and she’d said she wanted him to stay with her as a couple. A few nights passed without incident then, as the Shi’ar arrival date neared, Faith had a nightmare and Mark woke to shaking, which he realized was his own doing in response to her distress. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be affecting the building itself, just their metallic possessions. Steadying her, he tried to calm her down and wake her up at the same time. He was pretty sure that was SOP for nightmares.

When Faith came to, her head was resting in Mark’s lap and he was looking down at her curiously. “What happened?”

“You had a nightmare. Want to talk about it?”

“Uh, sure.” Mark blinked before reaching out and flicking his hand back at the wrist, Faith could admit she was impressed when the ceiling light turned on. “Neat trick.”

“Thanks. You said you wanted to talk about your nightmare?”

Faith sat up, “Not the nightmare itself. Look, I know you’re aware of my origins.”

He nodded “Are you afraid you’re not a person?”

“Not the way other people are but yeah.”

“Other people like regular clones or living weapons, ‘cause I think the first group gets it.”

“I guess.”

“I’m in the second group.”

“What?”

“Remember when the ship got attacked on Hala?”

“Oh, right. But people like me,”

“And Cody, and Louise.”

“Louise?”

“Arcadian Legacy, she doesn’t know I know but I know, I also know people don’t differentiate between ALs who were born and ALs who were made. You’re like the second group. What do you think would happen if the truth about Cody got out?”

“He’d be screwed.”

Mark shook his head “To use his age against him, the US would have to admit they let a four year old enlist.”

“Okay? What’s your point?”

“To deny you’re a person is to deny Cody’s a person because neither one of you was born.”

“I’m not human.”

“I don’t think I know any humans.” The scary thing is, Faith mused, that was almost true. “I think that if you add up the mutants and Inhumans then we’re not a minority. We’re almost equal, I think. Now imagine if people looked into you, found out you weren’t born but made, the fact that you were given a doctorate would keep them from saying you’re not a person because that would make them look bad.” Right again. “How are you feeling now?”

“Good. I didn’t hurt anyone when I-”

“At first I thought I did but then I remembered I chose this place for a reason and noticed that the room wasn’t shaking, just the metal in it and you.”

“Wait, you were here before you moved in with me?”

“Did you think I randomly picked this place off the internet then bought the complex on a whim so I wouldn’t have to worry about rent?”

“Sorta.”

“It’s almost true but I didn’t plan on offering the place to you until I realized you weren’t attached to the school, and the whole point of a mailing address is to receive mail so I was careful about picking a place that would hold up to a momentary lapse.”

“Not a lot of people have that luxury.”

“Normal people are all but forbidden from Attilan.”

“Right.”

“We’re safe, y’know?”

“Yeah, we’re safe.” She extended her arm and a potted plant grew to turn off the lights. They slid down the bed to sleep.

The next day after she finished a virtual consultation with a space program, Mark asked “Where’d you get your name?”

“After the project was complete, one of the staff members snuck me out. They killed ‘em for it but I got a family out of the deal. Apparently they only found out the truth during the Uprising, they didn’t even know the agent’s name.”

“You were dumped with them and they kept you?”

“The agent got caught forging papers for them, I don’t know if they knew the agent and kept it from me or what.”

“Hear me out, how can you be sure your adoptive family aren’t HYDRA agents themselves?”

“I can’t but we’re within Jean’s range so I think I’m safe if they try to come for me.”

“My mind gives her headaches.” He held up his hands before she could make a joke, “Something about it being staticky.”

“You’re serious?”

“You can ask her yourself. If something happens, I’m sure she can pick out your distress.”

“Right.”

This could work, Mark decided, they might just be alright after all.

* * *

A week after the Starjammers arrived, the rest of the Shi’ar made their way through the defense grid. They were directed to an empty field near one of the sanctuaries set aside for aliens; this one in particular had been carefully selected for the Shi’ar by Corsair and Mag, the foremost experts on the species. Four figures were waiting for them: Corsair, Ambassador McCoy, Mark Lucas and Majestrix Lilandra. “Who is this imposter?” demanded the Majestrix arriving with the Imperial Guard.

Very few Shi’ar had full wings, the trait was considered a genetic throwback and Cal’syee Neramani was notoriously proud of hers. Mag summoned an EMP and matched the polarity of her armor to blow the back off, revealing Deathbird’s wings. “Be glad Vulcan is busy or you would be dust.”

“You-” her words were cut off by the front of her armor imploding.

“Treason is punishable by death in any world,” said Mag by way of explanation when his companions turned to him in shock. “Apologies if I overstepped, Majestrix.”

“Not at all, soulmate.”

Mark resisted the urge to take a step back, knowing full well physical distance wouldn’t do anything. “Shall we?” he gestured to the sanctuary.

“Yes.”

He led them on a tour and translated for Hank when they got down to business, maintaining a professional distance. He returned home that night and admitted, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Take your shirt off.”

“What?”

“So I can see if the soulmark came back.”

“Oh.” Her boyfriend swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and threw it onto a chair.

Faith ran her hand over his shoulder blades “Anything?”

“No.”

“I don’t see any writing but Alex said even death doesn’t always break a Shi’ar bond so it’s possible Terrigenesis didn’t break it either.”

“That’s the problem.”

“She’s your first love, Mark. You didn’t break up, you were torn apart. It’s alright if you still have feelings for her but it’s not alright for you to play us, do you get what I mean?”

“I can have feelings for her but I can’t two time either of you.”

“Yeah.”

His mind eased, Mark calmed down “Thanks.”

“We’re in this together, right?”

“Right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write a full chapter for the Shi'ar return but I don't consider it a chapter if it's less than one page so I worked the confrontation into this chapter. Review, comment, kudo, please


	20. Trouble

“Maximus,” Louise said, startled, as he began ushering her away from her work. “What’s going on?”

“Get Jen and go to the edge of the city, the far edge. Tell no one- too late. The Quiet Room, then. Get Jen and go there. I’m going to help Auran.” He turned and rushed off. A quick check of the cameras answered her question, spurring her into action.

**Talos**

Maximus groaned softly as he came to, mentally forcing himself to endure the accompanying disorientation in the hopes that it would allow the serum to focus on more critical issues. As his physical senses returned to him, he heard someone brag about defeating Black Death and found himself unchained. During the alien’s speech, Maximus gathered the energy to stand up. He committed himself to using Gorgon’s lessons as he pushed himself to his feet, forcing himself to be still when dizziness took hold. The alien, who was using a translator just as clearly as he was broadcasting his victory, said “You shouldn’t be able to stand after so much,” he then made the grievous mistake of naming the poison.

From where the Royal Family was being held, Jen said “Oh, no.” The broadcast was being shown to them (Black Death was considered a hero to Inhumans).

Medusa asked “What?”

“That’s a powerful poison.” They watched him fend off the aliens.

“He shouldn’t be using his powers-”

“He’s not,” said Louise, “He’s fighting the way Gorgon taught me and Jen when you all thought we didn’t have powers.”

The leader seemed to remember Auran when she tried to slip away. The cuffs fell off the Royal Family and Louise led them to a corridor where Auran was standing over Maximus, who was slumped against a wall. Jen crouched in front of him “He’s barely breathing.”

“I gave him a booster.”

“I’ll take him down to Dr. Grey.” She wrapped her arms around him and vanished.

Louise put a hand on Auran’s arm, “Come on, let’s go to the portal.” When the rest of the family began to follow, she stopped “Black Bolt and Medusa need to reassure people that the invaders are gone. Their ship is locked down outside the dome.”

“Everyone who arrived on it is inside?” asked Medusa.

“No, I sensed some power inhibitors so I left those alone.” The King and Queen turned back towards the throne room with Triton.

Louise assured her soulmate “I’m just going to turn on the portal, I’m not going through.”

Gorgon nodded and turned to follow the other three, Karnak said “That’s not going to work on me.”

The technopath hustled the commander toward the portal, “Fine but Jen might be busy gathering supplies.”

Auran realized she was wearing a communicator, “Call Maximus.” Louise silenced Karnak with a glare, “Dr. Grey, Alice knows how to filter the poison out of his system. They used,” she repeated the tongue twister name, “We learned the hard way he has only a slight tolerance.” Jean responded with a quick ’I understand’.

As the call ended, Karnak told Louise “I knew what she was doing.”

“It’s hard to tell with you, and I need to focus a little to keep the aliens contained.”

As they neared the portal chamber, Auran said “The leader is a Super-Skrull, depending on who you ask they’re either Inhumans or extremists. He has the powers of the Fantastic Four in addition to shapeshifting.”

“What do you-”

“Isolate.”

“I will, as soon as I get you through the portal.” They arrived and Louise let go, activating the portal, “Go on, it’ll take you to the school’s portal. I assume you can get to the infirmary from there.”

“Yeah.” Auran went through and Louise turned it off before leaving.

“Where are you going?”

“Jen’s console is best for this.”

“For what?”

“I’m going to lockdown the defense grid and run communication from the control stations through a few programs to check for conspirators.”

“What about the Super Skrull?”

“I have to transport him off the ship to move him to an isolated chamber. I played the footage we missed after the cuffs came off in my head and it looks like the crew wants to kill him.”

“Skrulls are shapeshifters.”

“I can’t tell who’s an alien and who’s Inhuman on that ship.”

“What?”

“There are definitely Inhumans and aliens but I can’t differentiate between those on the ship. I know which one’s the Super Skrull, I can track that one so I’m gonna wait until we have a chance to update Black Bolt and Medusa on that situation. We might have to clear part of the city because I’m not sure how fast I can do this with alien tech. First thing’s first, checking to make sure this is the only mission of its kind.”

“Right.” Standing at the console, Louise closed her eyes and braced her arms on the edge. Karnak could see the screen flickering as she channeled her power through it, doing everything she said and “Are you acting as Arc?”

“I’m adding files to the underground’s network as a backup but otherwise, no.”

“Oh.” A few minutes later, she straightened and stepped away from the computer, unseeing eyes blinking. “Are you okay?”

A few more moments of rapid blinking preceded the answer “I’m fine. Deep dive’s do that.”

“Do what?”

“The deeper I am in a system, the more trouble I have leaving.”

“Okay.”

Down on Earth, Cody was standing guard outside the infirmary when Auran arrived, “No Black Bolt?”

“No.”

“Legally, you’re the only one I can allow in anyway.” He stepped aside.

Auran ran over to Maximus, “Helluva time to find out if he can access my power.”

Jean said “We’re not there yet.”

Alice agreed “We sent Jen to get some equipment to filter his blood and we’re giving him drugs to counteract it at levels Dr. Cassidy suggested. If we were there then I’d be curious to see how the serum is affected.”

“Alright.” They had changed him into scrubs. Auran could see his communicator sitting on a rolling tray with his clothes in a bag beneath. “I gave him a booster to keep him breathing.”

“Jen told us as much. She also noted that if he was in slightly better condition, she could’ve used the jump to kick his body into overdrive.”

“What?”

Alice explained “When Jen transported him, she took on the extra strain the way she would to avoid damaging an object. When she transports people, she allows them to take on part of that strain and if Maximus was in better shape then that could’ve-”

“Tricked his body into working harder,” finished the commander. “How bad is it?”

“He got at least twice the usual dose but thanks to Mark, he’s built a tolerance. We’ll know more once we get him set up with the filter, that’ll tell us how much has metabolized.”

Jean said “Cody, let her in.”

Auran asked “Did you do that for my benefit?”

“Yes,” Jean smiled a bit as Cody helped Jen move a machine inside. The device looked like a crate with a screen on top and tubes running through it.

The teleporter said “According to Mark, it’s all keyed up.”

Alice tapped the screen a few times, “It is.” She attached a handheld scanner to the device before hooking Maximus up and pressing a button to start the process. “Estimated time, two hours.” Putting a hand on her shoulder, Cody guided Jen out.

“It looks like you have this well in hand so I’m going to wait by the portal for Black Bolt.” Jean asked Auran “What can I tell him?”

“Nothing, I’ll call him with an update.”

“Alright.”

After she left, Auran asked Alice “How much damage did standing do?”

“What?”

“He stood up and, while he didn’t move much, he still fought them until the leader revealed himself to be a Super Skrull and the others turned on him.”

“Honestly?” Auran nodded. “I don’t know but I think that doing that helped.”

“What?”

“I assume he was laying down beforehand.”

“Yes.”

“Had he stayed still, his system might have been overrun by poison sooner. If you do share in each other’s powers then that would’ve put you in more danger because the enemy would’ve seen that death is not a permanent state for you.”

“You could ask Louise for the video if she hasn’t already uploaded it to Mag’s network.”

“Will do. You can sit down,” she gestured to a chair behind Auran.

“Right, thanks.” The Inhuman sat down and lifted her communicator to her mouth “Call Karnak.”

“This is a surprise.”

“It’s logical to call the only person who might be free from duties to check on others.”

“You want to know if our king and queen have finished reassuring the people before updating Black Bolt?”

“Exactly. Wait, are you with Louise?”

“Yes and she says they’re free.”

“Thank you. End call. Call Medusa. They’re filtering his blood to remove the poison, Alice estimates two hours using the filter Mark designed for this. We’ll know how much metabolized then.”

“How long do they think recovery will take?”

From where she was checking his chart, Alice said “Best guess, a week before we can safely discharge him but we will know more when we find out how much poison is actually in his system.”

Auran said “This isn’t a hospital, so there’s no official discharge.”

“Right, well, I’m still working on getting my license back since it expired during the mission. The point stands, he’ll be here for a week or so. It all depends on how much poison metabolized, his body’s reaction to treatment and a slew of other variables. Once the filtration process is finished, we’ll know more. For now, we have him stabilized and we’re following treatment protocols for super soldiers.”

“What protocols?”

“You should have received a copy of the protocols with the booster shot.”

“We’ll check.”

“We’re looking at a week, minimum, but I’m sure Auran will keep you updated as she sees fit. I’m not allowed to disclose any information without her permission and until Maximus wakes up, Dr. Grey has banned visitation. Soulmate rights supersede the ban but sibling rights do not.”

“Understood.”

Auran said “Might as well get questions out of the way before the ban lifts. Can Louise lock my communicator on Attilan time?”

“Yes, I’ll ask her to.” Medusa paused, presumably to translate Black Bolt’s signs. “What follows discharge?”

“We will base that on the speed of his recovery once he wakes up. In two hours, we will be able to work out a tentative treatment plan. Once he wakes up, we’ll know even more. For now, it’s a waiting game with many variables.”

“What usually follows discharge?”

“Usually physical therapy follows prolonged unconsciousness in addition to treatment for the underlying cause. What I can tell you is that the filter is working, which means that he hasn’t metabolized all of the poison. Even if he had, we’d have a chance given Auran’s gift but I’m not how the serum affects that.” Technically, that was a lie. There were things the Talos crew knew about each other and the wider galaxy that they agreed to keep secret, the effects of soulbonds were among them.

“Understandable.”

Auran asked Alice “Do I need to sign something for you to keep Attilan’s copy of his medical file up to date? I’ll call them when he wakes up but regular updates would be simpler if they were networked in.”

“I can do that, or rather Mark can do that. Are there any general questions I can answer?”

Medusa asked, “After the discharge, do you think it would be better for him to stay in Attilan or Lai Shi?”

“For medical purposes?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not up to date on that. I’ll consult Dr. Grey but I don’t think Auran needs to physically sign off on keeping Maximus’ file up to date.”

“Not his regular file.” Auran clarified “The regular file is what they use to study the serum’s effect.”

“Oh no, I know. I meant the medical file we’re using.”

“Okay. I’ll sign if I need to.”

“Thank you,” said Medusa.

Five days passed with no change in condition, they took him off the filter and adjusted his IVs but he remained unconscious. Cody moved a cot into his room and delivered food for Auran so she didn’t have to leave her soulmate. Finally, in the middle of the night, Maximus woke up. As he came to, she jumped to her feet, mentally calling out _He’s awake_ like Jean told her to. Aloud, she said “Maximus?”

Judging his throat too dry to speak, he nodded. When Jean arrived, she was carrying a small cup of ice chips and a water bottle with a straw. Auran moved out of her way and watched the doctor coax verbal answers out. Even without telepathy, the Inhuman could tell he was trying to take advantage of the doctor’s power. Suddenly, she remembered what she told Medusa and stepped out, checking the time displayed on her communicator before speaking “Call Black Bolt.” She waited for the tone that indicated the call to the king had gone through “Maximus just woke up. Dr. Grey’s checking him over and Alice warned there’s a chance he won’t stay awake long but he’s awake.”

Medusa must’ve grabbed her husband’s wrist because Auran heard her answer “We’re on our way.”

Jean came out while Auran was waiting to flag down her brother-in-law. “I’d like to limit visitation to one hour for tonight. I’ll run tests tomorrow to see if he’s safe to come off the drugs.”

“You got it, Dr. Grey.”

“I’ll wait by the portal, since ours isn’t very user friendly.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble. I can give your guests directions if you want to sit with him.”

“Thanks.” Auran retreated into the room.

Jean did a quick scan of the building as she went to the portal, turning it on. “Sorry about that. Our portal doesn’t automatically turn on like others.” She projected into their minds _If you don’t mind, I’ll guide you to the room like this._

Medusa verbalized “We don’t mind.”

When they arrived, Auran squeezed her husband’s hand then let go so the brothers could sign. Medusa asked “Do they know anything more?”

“It’s the middle of the night, Dr. Grey’s going to run tests tomorrow before making any decisions. If the tests go well, they’ll only hold him for a few days to ease him off the drugs.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Medusa wasn’t blind to the similarities between her and Auran, “Karnak looked over the video Louise sent, Maximus blocked a few shots aimed at the rest of us.”

“What about the Inhumans they were using?” At Medusa’s surprised look, Auran said “I met at least one of them when we moved Inhuman settlements and I can spot Kree inhibitors a mile away.”

“They’re staying in Attilan, Louise removed the control tech. She’s working with Mark and Karnak to find a better place for the settlements. Since the Kree Empire shrunk, the space between them and the central Nova planets is disputed.”

“Tell Mark,” Auran proceeded to name an alien race “They owe us for getting their traders out of trouble.”

“Traders?”

“There’s a sector in space ruled by a species that is famous for three things: trade, mediation and a unique atmosphere that has protected them better than any army in recorded history. They don’t believe in war or weapons, they have no need for either and they’ve developed technology to keep their space free of the latter. Their planets have tourist districts where the atmosphere is filtered to be breathable by all. Inhuman settlements in their sector would need to put that tech on their borders but plenty of planets are uninhabited. It’s probably our best bet.”

“I’ll pass it on.” Maximus laughed at something his brother signed.

“Dr. Grey gave us an hour, partly because it’s the middle of the night here but-”

“I didn’t know the time difference was that big.”

Maximus said “New York is six hours ahead of Hawaii.”

“Right.”

Auran said “You’re surprised he’s keeping up with both conversations?”

“A little, probably more than I should be.”

“Yeah. Alice said it’d be best to wait until he’s about to be discharged before letting Luna visit. What did you tell her about what happened?”

“Nothing, we told Luna that Maximus was undergoing tests. We showed Crystal and Pietro the same video Louise sent Mark.”

“Alright.” Jen smiled, looking at her husband “Mark calls him Mad Max because his crazy plans usually work out.”

“Oh, that’s where that name came from. He said there was a story.”

“We were on either a dwarf planet or a colonized moon, I’m not sure, when we found out there was a worldkiller class weapon set to take the whole thing out. Mark and Maximus were working with locals to try to disable it when Maximus pulled his disappearing act. Never did get a straight answer on what he did but he got the guy who set the device to walk him through disarming it. Turned out, the guy was going to destroy an entire world so he could sell survivors into slavery since an end of the world event causes enough chaos to get people running for any escape without question. It wasn’t the first time he did it either, and exploration was supposed to be the less stressful side mission.”

“Really?”

“The next stop we made was an abandoned Kree Imperium lab, Maximus and Mark tried to dig through files but they accidentally tripped the self-destruct. This was long before we encountered the Vox so they weren’t the experts in alien code they are now but they still managed to make it appear intentional.”

In Attilan the next day, Louise and Mark caught the king and queen between the royals’ duties “How’s Maximus?”

“You already know the answer. Mark, Auran suggested you contact the-” she butchered the aliens’ name. “Something about you saving traders.”

The engineer slapped himself “Of course. I might need to connect to Auran since they’ll be familiar with the commander not the crew. The Skrulls can help with,” he cut himself off “Thanks.” Then continued back towards Jen’s station.

At the king and queen’s questioning looks, Louise said “I assume he remembered something from the Talos mission that’s helpful but beyond that, I don’t know.” She followed him “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to call the Skrull factions to see what that Super-Skrull was doing here then I’m going to need you to let me know when Auran’s not in Maximus’ room so I can loop her into a diplomatic call to set up an Inhuman homeworld. When Maximus gets back to work, he can draft treaties for all parties involved. To be honest, I think he should make the treaties for Attilan not Terra or Earth. He has more sway here as the King’s brother than anyone dealing with alien affairs has planetside.”

“Alright. Do you need any help?”

“Not at the moment but this shouldn’t take long, assuming Kl’rt will answer my hail. Do we still have a Super-Skrull in custody?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Kl’rt might answer to help his people. Oh, right you don’t- Kl’rt was the first Super-Skrull and as such, he’s the de facto leader of that faction. I’m not kidding about asking Maximus to draft the treaties, I can lay the groundwork by getting the two factions to answer my call and arranging a meeting on the edge of the city, as in outside the barrier, but the actual written accords will need to be done by a diplomat and Maximus is the only one qualified to do that for aliens. Now I’m getting an answer so-” he spoke to Kl’rt and Talos, arguing in Kree as both spoke their enemy’s language and there was no evidence Kl’rt spoke English. Louise made out the name Boltagon and assumed he invoked Auran’s name as Commander Boltagon but they were talking too fast for her to pick out words and her basic understanding of the language did not lend itself well to practical use. When the call ended, Mark smiled “That went well. They’re willing to meet here in a month, apparently Talos’ ship still tells Terran time. They want to negotiate and I told them that we will let them know if we can provide a mediator at least a week in advance. Talos actually translated a bit for me, it was awesome.”

“Talos, he’s the leader of the peaceful faction.”

“They’re both effectively peaceful, just like they’re both technically on good terms with us. When Auran gets a moment, can you give her an update because she’s gonna need to bring something the Super-Skrulls gave us to the meeting as proof of identity? We got the Skrulls on our side, they have the means to protect the Inhuman planets for a while and we can make aiding those Inhumans a term of the treaty if they want their rogue back, I think. I don’t know, I’m not a diplomat but I imagine now wouldn’t be a good time to start a diplomatic dialogue, I doubt Auran’s not gonna appreciate getting pulled away for negotiations.”

“You can go down there and update her yourself.”

“Oh, right.” He lifted his hands off the keys, “I’ll do that. Can you finish up here for me?”

“Sure. I can’t believe you were Mag, you’re so disorganized.”

“Eh, the Talos mission threw all our lives off track.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“I’ll see you when I see you.” Mark left for the portal, checking the window by Maximus’ room before going in to brief the Boltagons on the state of affairs. “I’m gonna head up to the school if you don’t need me for anything. I have some designs I’m working on.”

“Thank you for your help,” said Maximus.

“No problem. I could use your help on a universal translator once the doctors clear you. Auran’s probably gonna be the one they want to talk to.”

“Right.”

“See ya around, Mad Max.”


	21. Surfer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during the last chapter while Maximus is unconscious. Italics outside quotations are telepathic communication

Norrin Radd flew into the Baxter Building while Vulcan and Doctor Doom were visiting to run tests on the former. The mutant turned to him, floating over to his board “Norrin Radd of Zenn-La, the Silver Surfer, Herald of Galactus. Why have you come to the only inhabited planet in this system?”

“Galactus must feed.” The Surfer blasted Vulcan with the power cosmic to no effect.

“Reed, can you project those words in English writing?”

“Uh, sure,” answered Mister Fantastic. The Surfer stopped when he saw the words.

“Your soulmate lives here, which means you cannot directly kill her. Unfortunately, indirect action such as aiding the Devourer of Worlds is not affected by this bond.”

“You know who my soulmate is?”

“On this world, it’s considered taboo to tell but yes, I do.”

“Who- What are you?”

“Who am I? That’s a loaded question but I’ll give you the most relevant details. I am Vulcan, son of Corsair. I am a veteran of the latest Kree war, who fought beside Black Death. What am I? On this world, known as Earth to the locals and Terra to the wider galaxy, what I am is an Omega Class energy mutant. In the wider galaxy, Omega Class translates to worldkiller power.”

“You cannot-”

“Maybe, I can’t but she can.” He gestured to Jean floating beside them. “Norrin Radd of Zenn-La, the Silver Surfer, Herald of Galactus; Doctor Jean Grey, the current and longest standing host of the Phoenix Force.” He paused to think over his next words, “Jean and I are the only confirmed Omega Class mutants, she has telepathy and telekinesis amplified by the Phoenix.”

“Did you have to mention that?”

“Seemed prudent with his insistence that we’re no match for Galactus. What’s the rule for soulmates in an end of the world event? I mean, should I introduce Norrin to his soulmate or hold off?”

“You can point him in the right direction but since you need to drain his power, I’m not sure how helpful that is.”

The Surfer turned back to Vulcan “You’re going to what?”

“I can drain power from almost any source and use it for my own purposes. In order to safely get to Galactus, Jean and I need your board. I have heard your reputation, I know your origins. I would rather not put you in a position to choose between your duty and your honor. Cosmic energy binds, I may need you to allow the transfer in order to safely take your power for the journey.”

Jean said “I know where he last saw Galactus so you don’t need directions anymore.”

“Galactus is the source of the Surfer’s power, I was gonna use the Chernobyl trick.”

“Either way, V.”

Norrin stood up straight “You are not the Phoenix.”

“The Phoenix Force lays dormant most of the time.”

“Although she communes with it at least once a week to keep it that way.”

“V, stop talking.” He mimed zipping his lips and she turned back to the Surfer. “Like he said, we’re not gonna ask you to choose between duty and honor. Just offer Vulcan your hand and let the energy flow.”

_I may need help controlling the board, I don’t know._

_Don’t worry, I’m on it._

_Can I talk to Surfer?_

_I’m not forcing you to stay quiet._

_I know._ Aloud, he said “We just need the board to get to Galactus then Jean will unleash the Phoenix and tear him apart on a molecular level, because that’s what happens when you mix a near omnipotent force with telekinesis. If that’s not enough then I’ll circle around the big bad and drain him from behind while the Phoenix does its thing. Either way, with two of us, Galactus is space dust.”

“Who knows, maybe the Phoenix will rearrange his molecules like that.”

Surfer was startled by the casual way they discussed such feats, “Are you sure?”

“During the war, I vaporized a Kree fleet that was armed with three worldkillers. If I can absorb your energy then I can take your master’s but that’s only if the Phoenix can’t take him.” Suddenly, he threw his arms out wide and his brown leather jacket began to disintegrate. Everyone turned to Jean, who restored the coat with a shrug, “Why are you wearing that over your suit?”

“I wanted to practice control and the image inducer is fun to fiddle with since Hunter gave me the new prototype.”

“He made that to work with your powers, actually.”

“Whatever,  sister  .” Vulcan gave the Silver Surfer his full attention “Give me your hand and relax your hold on your power, I’ll do the rest.” Norrin held out his hand and Vulcan took it. _We should have time if his herald just got here, I wanna drop him off with Vesta._

_Fine with me but maybe take the watch and jacket off first._

_Right. We’ll go from the Inn to Galactus, I’ll charge you so you can breathe._

_Sounds like a plan._

He dropped Norrin’s hand, the board jostled them a bit “Easy there, both of you.” Vulcan helped the alien stand before pulling his coat off, deactivating the image inducer and slipping the watch in his jacket pocket. “Come on, there we go. We’re gonna take you to your soulmate on our way through. Alright?” He tossed his coat onto a worktable.

“ Yes  .”

Jean nodded “Let’s go.”

She flew beside the board as they made the journey to Anchor Bay. Hopping off the board, Vulcan led Norrin inside where a girl in a ladybug print dress greeted them “Welcome- Hey Vulcan.”

“Vesta. This is Norrin Radd of Zenn-La, I need you to keep him safe for a bit. Fair warning, he’s not mortal nor is he an Olympian.”

“Alright. We got a room open for surprise guests. Come back soon, V.” 

The mutant left them alone, Norrin was deeply confused by both the interaction and sudden lack of a language barrier. Vulcan climbed on the board and Jean landed in front of him. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he frowned “I guess the board does it for me. You still have the directions?”

“Yes.” He dropped the Phoenix off on the first barren rock in Galactus’ path before flying the board back, staying in psychic range for the Phoenix. The arrogance displayed by the Devourer of Worlds spoke of power, he knew he was considered the most powerful being in existence. Unfortunately, that was a misnomer brought on by many mistakenly believing the Phoenix Force to be in a prolonged dormant state, like Knull. Before the cosmic entity could act, the Phoenix flared to the surface. A power never before seen enveloped Jean Grey and brought an end to Galan. _Clear,_ a tired voice spoke in Vulcan’s head.

 _Awesome._ He flew over and helped her onto the board, _Wanna see how fast we can go?_

_Sure. Why are we-_

_We’re in space, no sound in space without helmets or tons of power._

_Right._

_Hold on._ He blasted off, racing back to the Greenwood Inn, sparing only a moment’s delay to avoid compromising the defense grid. Landing on the beach, he was met with an ecstatic Dawn ’Vesta’ Greenwood dragging an equally happy Norrin Radd outside. “Why do you call her Vesta when you know her name?”

“Habit, I guess,” he answered Jean before facing the alien “Y’know you can join Terra’s defenders if you want to do some good with the power cosmic. I can link you both to the board if you want.”

“That would be appreciated. Thank you, Vulcan.”

“Did Dawn explain our code names?”

“Yes, you are named for the God of Forges and Fire.”

“Yeah. My other name is Cody. Anyway, give me your hands so I can get rid of this cosmic power I don’t want or need.” With a smile, the couple did and he took a few steps back, pulling them forward onto the board. As the power returned to him, so did the silver covering his skin. “It’s a good thing we did it this way, I think you should be able to bond now. Phoenix and I have to go. Bye.” He wrapped an arm around his fellow mutant and flew back to the Baxter.

“What’s the rush?”

He picked up his jacket, “They just met, I thought it was good form to leave recently discovered soulmates alone.”

“Oh, right.”

Johnny asked “How’d it go?”

“The Phoenix vaporized him as predicted and I was right about the Silver Surfer’s soulmate.” Cody asked Jean, “How’s the Phoenix?”

She seemed startled by the question for a moment before smiling in relief, “Satisfied.”

“So it went great.”


	22. Treaties

The day before her husband’s discharge, Auran went up to Attilan to negotiate for the Inhuman settlements endangered by the border dispute. Mark looped Kl’rt in when they discovered Super-Skrulls were involved in several operations, some as slaves and others as willing participants. The negotiations were made more difficult by the fact that Kl’rt had been unable to retrieve the renegade who attacked Attilan. Auran brought him around to her way of thinking by promising their captive’s release once the terms of their arrangement were met. Convincing the settlements’ inhabitants to move was by far the easiest part as they were living in terror. Auran used templates from their ship, the Talos, to make the contracts, clearly informing all parties that it wasn’t a treaty as she wasn’t authorized to negotiate those. The contracts were read and virtually signed, copies were dispersed and saved, then the work began with an estimated two months completion. Auran briefly brought Talos the Skrull into the discussion to arrange for his ship to hold the Inhumans until their new, permanent home was finished. While she was doing that, Luna was visiting her Uncle Max.

When he returned to Attilan, Maximus went straight to Jen’s console, which had stopped being hers alone shortly after she received the space. Drafting up a treaty, he called the Nova to inform them that the current border disputes put them in violation of their treaty with the Kree then he looped the Kree into the call and tricked them into accepting the terms of his treaty by acting as a mediator. Both sides virtually signed before Maximus brought in the parties from the contract the day before and further negotiated peace, this time genuinely writing the treaty as terms were set. While many treaties were made, none directly included Inhumans aside from all parties agreeing to recognize them as their own race, not simply weapons of another. Hours passed as he worked diligently to clean up the mess that the Talos mission had unwittingly made. When he was done, slavery was either outlawed or highly restricted in all the sectors involved. Shi’ar Majestrix Lilandra would be approached after her business on Terra concluded. The restrictions were the first step towards clearing out a notorious space sector, known as the Forbidden Zone, which was highly unregulated and dangerous as anyone who drifted in could find themselves enslaved. By stating their intentions clearly, Maximus and Auran made great headway with the alien leaders, some who offered to broach the matter with their allies.

As the couple stepped back, Jen asked “What was all that about? I understood a bit of the Kree but it didn’t make much sense.”

Auran answered “We were negotiating peace treaties between the Kree, the Nova, the Skrulls and the peaceful traders I told Medusa about.”

Maximus said “We also arranged for Talos to grant the Inhumans on border planets asylum on the ship Mar-Vell made for his people and Kl’rt to extract the rest from their captors, buying time to set up the atmospheric filters.”

“Wow, that’s, wow.”

Maximus said “During negotiations, we laid the groundwork to put an end to the intergalactic slave trade by convincing those involved in our negotiations to restrict the trade in their sectors.”

“Seriously? You did all that in a few hours?”

“We have a reputation in the wider galaxy,” Auran said “Most Terrans don’t.”

“You guys prefer the word Terra because Earth translates to dirt, right?”

“And the wider galaxy considers it proper, yes.”

“Well, if you ever get bored of doing the negotiations yourself, I’m sure you can arrange a contract to teach Terran diplomates.”

“That’d be child’s play,” agreed Maximus. “The Kree hunted the Skrulls and warred with the Nova, now they have fair peace treaties with both.”

“Hell, maybe you could mediate for Terran leaders if alien diplomacy gets boring.”

“Most planets have a centralized government. The UN needs to decide whether it wants to present itself as such, which would require diplomats to respect the president as a sovereign, or enforce the image of various factions coexisting, which would end the charade of Earth negotiating with other planets. We can’t help them if they’re not willing to listen to reason.”

“Fair enough.”

Maximus asked “Did the Genetic Council accept the Lucas siblings as precedent?” He was still working on his reintegration program, like the rest of the Talos crew, so he tried to focus on current events he understood.

“They didn’t want to but they did, Mark and Ashley offered blood to prove validity after you caught the forgery on Luna’s test results. Turns out Kitang’s replacement was a bit obsessive.”

“Have you tested your range yet?”

“Not really. I know I can affect objects without touching them but only to the point of taking them out of phase, I can’t transport them to a specific place.”

“That’s progress.”

“From slowly dying, yeah.”

Auran asked “What exactly did they tell Luna about Maximus?”

“Well, Pietro spent hours with Black Bolt to get all the best stories about you two. I don’t know if anyone told you-”

“Pietro can decipher Black Bolt’s signs, you realize the entire language was developed by two teenagers.”

“Right. So mostly they told her about that, they told her that you left Attilan to build up Lai Shi and earned the serum then left Earth for a space mission. I’m not sure about any details.”

“I would’ve thought you’d be right there with Pietro, learning the language.”

“I don’t care enough to try, although I wish people would stop using my workspace for their own projects, I get this place was set up during the thing with Thanos to give us more warning but Thanos has been dead for years.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I understand, you wanted to get these treaties settled and start making moves.”

“The treaties are a continuation of some earlier projects. The Kree need them to be safe without resorting to a rapid restoration of their military under a new Supreme Intelligence, the Inhumans need a safe place to call home as they always have, and the Skrulls deserve the same sense of security which is best achieved through unity.”

“I said I understand but thanks for explaining. If you need a mystery, maybe you could figure out how Arcadian Legacies are marked.”

“On paper, it’s simply a matter of inducing a particular strain of bioluminescence into the body. In practice, I don’t know.”

“Bioluminescence?”

“Of a sort, triggered by UV light. I don’t think it’s something that goes on the skin at any rate because, to my knowledge, growth and time have no effect on the mark.”

“Huh, that makes sense. Plus Arcade was known to experiment on his victims, maybe the mark is-” She cut herself off, “Thanks, Maximus. I’m pretty sure Black Bolt wants to talk to you.”

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Maximus nodded “I know, and I’m sure he won’t let us focus on business like treaties.”

“Yeah, probably not. Louise and I are on his side so you’re kinda stuck in Attilan anyway. Plus some Inhumans the aliens brought with them are waiting to meet you.”

The couple shared a fond smile, knowing two of those Inhumans in particular, “Thank you.” Maximus sought out his brother “I don’t know why Rogers isn’t considered a tracker, our senses are strong enough for that.”

As Black Bolt pestered his brother, Medusa asked “What were you working on that was so urgent?”

“I was arranging peace treaties between the Kree, the Nova, the Super-Skrulls and the Skrulls as well as having Talos take the ship Mar-Vell made his people to evacuate the Inhumans left behind on the border worlds and convincing Kl’rt to have his Super-Skrulls rescue the others.”

“And that was urgent?”

“Without those treaties, the Talos mission would have amounted to the first shots in a genocidal war where Inhumans would have been caught in the crossfire. The threat of intergalactic war is why we moved the Inhumans to uninhabited Nova planets.”

“Right but Mark-”

“Couldn’t arrange the treaties because he doesn’t know how to write a treaty and he isn’t fluent in all of the languages involved. Did you figure out who forged Luna’s test results?”

“Yes, Jen set up the computers so that we can track that sort of thing. It was easy to backtrack.”

“Alright.” Maximus began signing without thinking, briefing them on the mission to explain the recent attack. When his hands were still, Black Bolt returned the favor by bringing him up to speed on the past five years. Medusa left the brothers to their conversation at some point, checking in with the other members of the Royal Family.

When they were done, they went to a courtyard where the Inhumans Jen mentioned were waiting for them. Auran joined them and excited chatter filled the space, the visiting Inhumans were thrilled to meet the legendary Black Death and the feeling only grew when they were told about the treaties. After meeting their hero, the other worldly Inhumans began discussions with Attilan’s government to extend their stay until the sanctuary planet was ready for them.


	23. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Maximus are keeping busy while Mark avoids Lilandra and Maximus worries about a past encounter

Upon recalling a dangerous close encounter, Maximus found Mark at Jen's console. "Remember the magic empress?" Mark's eyes widened and he nodded mutely before gesturing for the Captain to join him.

After staying up for six weeks working to shore up Terra’s defenses with Mark- the magnokinetic taking naps- Maximus was ready to collapse into a chair as soon as he reached his and Auran’s apartment. His wife all but dragged him to bed, remarking “This isn’t the Talos.” He slept for almost eight hours and proceeded to carry out his normal routine as though nothing happened. That day, he had a therapy appointment scheduled for the afternoon that kept him from going back to Attilan. After therapy, he made sure to beat Auran home and make dinner. Louise noticed his sleep habit and she brought it up at a family dinner.

“Super soldiers only need an hour a week of sleep.”

“I think Mark tried to match you in that regard,” said Jen.

“I’ll admit I was being an insomniac.” Maximus explained “There are aliens out there that could humble even the most brazen Asgardians. We need forewarning in case they decide to turn their attention toward the planet responsible for defeating Knull, the Asgardians and Thanos’ army. Any delay could be cataclysmic.”

Louise asked “Why do I get the feeling this is one of those things you left out of the report?”

“Who is there to read the reports?” Giving that a moment to sink in, Maximus said “In any case, no we did not go into detail about these aliens aside from a mention in one of my reports after I was accused of assassinating an empress.” Looking around the table, he explained “I did not kill a random alien empress, I was simply using her ship to escape a Kree vessel after mistaking it for a station. Had I not made that error, I would never have encountered that particular race.”

“They scare you, this mystery race.” said Jen.

“Very much so,” agreed Auran. “They can build strength fast, retain it more easily than lose it and their magic allows them to control anyone using their name. They are not afraid to leverage children to get that information.”

Maximus continued “Moreover, the eldest child is supposed to inherit the throne. The empress noted that her daughter would be a great successor, it was a point of pride while she seemed disappointed and regretful in regards to her son who somehow claimed the throne. He’s begun a campaign that’s cost them more than it’s gained because he destroys planets without withdrawing troops. Anyone with half a brain would be scared.”

Auran finished with “And if that’s not enough, warning is all we can hope for with our defense system because they have been able to get around every mechanical defense known.”

Louise said “You can stop, we get the picture. Do they still blame Maximus?”

“Most likely,” Jen said, “Their king sounds like D’Ken, from what Mark knows of the former emperor. And just like D’Ken, his sister is our best bet.”

“If they come to Earth for war, we could aid her in recovering the throne by taking him out as an enemy leader.” Maximus said “But that victory would come at a steep cost, and that is assuming she doesn’t feel the need to avenge him by destroying our planet.”

Louise asked “What’s the alternative?”

“You’re a technopath?” Louise nodded. Maximus said “If we could get in their systems, we could broadcast the late empress’s last words. Her son would be left with the choice to obey her dying wish or die himself, in accordance with their laws and customs.”

“Right.” Louise didn’t look convinced “How do I access their systems?”

“Jen’s console is connected to the alien ship on the edge of the city. You don’t need direct access, do you?”

“Not really.”

“You have two powers, don’t you?” Louise looked surprised and Jen explained “I’ve heard of technopaths being able to move technology with their minds so I figure there’s gotta be a power that pairs with technopathy the way telekinesis does telepathy.”

“Electrokinesis,” Louise held her hand palm up and conjured a ball of electricity. “The longer I go without using it, the stronger it is.” She closed her hand, snuffing out the static.

“How long have you gone?”

“I haven’t used it since I nearly blew up my kitchen in high school, suppressing powers is second nature.”

“Yeah. A technopath who can electrocute you with a thought, you’d have the whole world against you.” Jen said “I was fifteen when I got my powers. I could’ve used them a hundred times but I kinda kept forgetting I had them, which might have saved my life, come to think of it.”

Laughing, Louise said “I don’t even want to know.”

“You really don’t. The tamest example is when I climbed Mount Logan, the tallest mountain in Canada. If I’d remembered my powers, I would’ve teleported down.”

Pietro said “You’re not supposed to climb mountains alone.”

“I know that but who was I supposed to bring with me?”

After a moment’s thought, he backed down “Point taken.”

“How tall is Mount Logan?” asked Crystal.

Jen shrugged. Mentally looking it up, Louise answered “The main peak is about 19 and a half thousand feet. Why did you climb Mount Logan?”

“I went to Canada to lie low after I pissed off the cartels. If you want to be untraceable, go off the grid. I camped out in some national parks and decided to climb a mountain for the hell of it, just to give myself something to do other than go stir crazy. I started the climb a few times and had to climb down when I realized I needed better supplies. I spent about a few months on that climb then went back to camping in places not likely to give me hypothermia.”

“How is it even the tame stuff you do is crazy?”

Jen shrugged “What’s that curse? May you live in interesting times.”

“It’s not actually Chinese,” said Louise before explaining “It’s called the Chinese Curse.”

“I know, I was being ironic. You realize nothing was stopping me from having a normal, neglectful childhood. I taught myself to read, write, speak, sign, code, cook, do math, forge government documents, brush my teeth, drive- probably my least used skill-, climb stairs, open a door- I wasn’t tall enough to reach when mom left-, uh, what else? Oh yeah, I also taught myself to read a map, survive in various wilderness climates by climbing a mountain. Pretty much life skills, everything you learn in school and then some cool stuff like hacking, parkour, escaping restraints, controlling my powers- I guess Pietro did learn that in school-, among other things.”

While most of the table was silent, processing the list, Louise laughed, “Do you always try to distract people when you list your skills?”

“Yeah, force of habit.” Jen shrugged. “Getting back to what Maximus said, are you up for hacking alien systems with your mind?”

Maximus clarified “You only need to hijack a news broadcast.”

Jen rolled her eyes “Louise was Arc, she worked with Mag on shutting down the program by exposing their various operations.”

“Actually, I thought he was asking me to break into their files to expose the king, not expose him to the world.” She told Maximus “Thanks for clearing that up, that will be easy.” She closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them, “Done. They’ll find the video next time they get hacked and if the alien press is anything like Earth’s then they’ll broadcast it.”

“Alright.” With the imminent crisis averted, conversation lightened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of sleep Maximus needs is based on Steve Rogers' canon stats. I know people love insomniac Tony but Rogers sleeps even less than Stark. Oh my God, I believe I touched on this in the reflection chapter, but the serum made Maximus an insomniac and that's what this chapter is highlighting.


	24. Family Dinner

Jen felt stupid for not returning the key sooner but in her defense, she’d thought she could return it to the person who gave it to her. Maximus and Auran were hosting a family dinner that night so she figured they would be home. Knocking on the door, she heard Maximus call “Come in.” When she stepped through the threshold, she saw him in the kitchen to her right, wearing only cargo shorts and cooking. The wall of windows across from the door filled the room in natural light. “Close the door.” She did and moved toward the barstools, key in hand. “You forgot a pill bottle when you moved out. Lincoln took the bottle and told me not to worry.”

“Yeah, I don’t really need it since Faith stabilized my powers.” She set the key down, “Did you cook a lot before-”

“Not really but the serum gives me perfect recall.”

She could see him hiding a smirk as she responded, “Seriously? So you only need an hour of sleep a week, you can remember everything-”

“I had a photographic memory before the serum enhanced everything.”

“Oh, that makes a bit more sense.”

“How do you think I caught up on twelve years of schooling in under a year?”

“Good point.” Trying to change the subject, she asked “Why cooking? Of all the things you could learn-”

“Auran and I watched a cooking show, I didn’t set out to mimic those on TV but,” he shrugged.

“What are you making?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.” He didn’t want to explain that he got the idea from the crew, his friends, not TV.

“Okay. What do you do these days when you’re not cooking?”

Maximus shrugged “Just try to keep busy. I help out where I can around Lai Shi, like I did before the serum; I work with Mark sometimes, rebuilding the AF.”

“Do you have trouble sleeping more than an hour a week?”

“Not really but when I feel like it, I can put off sleep.”

Jen looked at the door in the corner where the wall of windows across from the door met the left wall, “What’s back there?”

“The floor plan calls it the master suite, locking on the inside wasn’t our idea. The only change we made to the standard floor plan was the second room attached to the guest room.”

“What’s that for?”

“What did you use it for?”

“I used it for an office and to manage my treatment, which kept changing as each thing stopped working. Your turn?”

“Haven’t decided, Auran might have plans but I don’t.” He pointed to the laundry room and guest bathroom, “I suppose I shouldn’t call the second room the only change. The standard plan has an office next to the laundry room and both bathrooms accessible through the bedrooms. We made all this,” he gestured to the room they were in “Bigger by going smaller with the rooms on that side. There’s a standardized apartment complex to give our people space to grow. The apartments are all smaller than the ones made with specific people in mind but they’re equal in quality.” Maximus put the pans he was preparing in the oven and adjusted the temperature before stirring the pot on the stove.

Auran returned home as he began working on the next thing and kicked him out “No, we agreed I’d make this. Make sure you have a timer set for the oven.” She was wearing a pale yellow shirt and white capris with sandals she took off at the door.

“The timer is built in and I still have to stir the pot on the stove.”

“I can do that. Why don’t you get your laptop so Jen can teach you Terran code?” He held up his hands and went to their room. She didn’t bother yelling when she said, “And put a shirt on, it’s not that warm in here.” As she said it, Jen realized a few windows were open. Auran’s cooking was more careful, like you’d expect from a novice. She asked Jen “What are you doing here?”

“Came to return the key,” Jen pointed to said object on the counter.

“Did Maximus tell you he gave Lincoln your pills?”

“Yeah, I don’t need them anymore.” Jen looked up as Maximus came out of their room in a light blue polo shirt with a laptop, taking the time to lock the door behind him. He saw her watching and gestured to the kitchen table, where she walked him through a few exercises to break his habit of using Kree coding rules. “You’re very good at this.”

Auran said “He and Mark are working on patenting every change they made to the Talos so Mark can buy out all of the AF’s properties and take over the defense grid.”

“The grid is an AF intellectual property, the project was launched by them shortly before they disbanded.” Jen corrected a few errors, focused on the task at hand. “Why does Mark want to buy out the AF itself?”

“Mark’s an engineer at heart, a brilliant engineer at that, he doesn’t like bad tech or tech being used wrong. Plus, he needs something to do now that his mission as Mag is nearing a close.”

“Right.” The oven timer went off and Maximus moved to take the pans out, Auran swatting him with mitts to remind him to wear them as their dishes traded places. Jen closed everything out on the laptop and asked “Is there anything I can do to help?” Maximus set a stack of plates on the raised part of the island along with a utensil sorter, “Set the table, got it.”

The couple was too distracted to respond. Auran asked a question about the recipe, which Maximus promptly answered. He opened the fridge to grab a two liter of root beer, a two liter of orange soda and a bottle of apple juice, setting them all on the raised part of the island for Jen to grab. Their whole home was very clean and this glimpse of domestic life told Jen that they kept it that way themselves, which wasn’t surprising. The dining set was mostly made of black plastic with the exception of the glasses, Luna had a Curious George cup while the rest had clear cups. Jen moved the laptop to the island as she set the table and Maximus put it on the coffee table when he laid out the glasses before asking “Does Luna need a special chair?”

“They’ll bring a booster seat if she needs one but no, she doesn’t need a high chair.” Maximus left the apartment and came back with another chair much like theirs, “Is the furniture standardized too?” He set the chair behind the setting with the special cup, which Jen noted was between where Pietro and Crystal usually sat.

“To an extent.” Auran answered “We chose to keep things simple.”

Jen looked at the time and realized they had half an hour before dinner, “Your dish cooks fast.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then.”

Maximus added to the pot on the stove, turning the heat down as he put finishing touches in and set a timer on the microwave above the sink. Auran rolled her eyes as she realized her husband kept their dinner plan secret, “What do you and Karnak do?”

“What?”

“You don’t do things together?”

As Jen thought about it, she realized that aside from sharing a bed, they were more like friends than a couple. “Not really. There’s stuff I don’t want anyone to know about, I know it’s stupid with a psychic bond but I’ve been on my own for a long time and now, I have the trial to worry about. I didn’t choose to have powers and none of the other lab rats survived so I’m the star witness against the people who did it. It’s a mess.”

“It might feel like forever but some day, this will be a footnote in history.”

“I’m almost afraid of that.”

Maximus said “You should tell Karnak that. He can’t help you if he doesn’t know you need it. Gorgon used to tease him about how he would drive his soulmate away just like he drove everyone away. Triton was cautiously optimistic for his brother, he was the one who would respond to Gorgon’s jibes and then their bickering would lead Karnak to walk away.”

“Did people often forget you were there?”

“Did I often fade into the woodwork, so to speak? Yes but Gorgon is loud by nature so you can imagine how easy it was to hear him when Triton riled him up.”

“I can, I just can’t see Triton riling him up.”

“In defense of his brother?”

“Oh, right, now I see it. What’d he say to Gorgon?”

“Gorgon told Karnak he’d drive away his soulmate because he couldn’t help pointing out the flaw in everything, Triton told Gorgon he’d drive away his soulmate because he couldn’t be quiet to save his life, ironically I’m sure they had this fight in Karnak’s meditation garden. Of course, anyone could point out how Triton’s aquatic nature is a handicap on the moon.”

“Now I really see it.”

While they continued talking about his blundering cousins, Maximus finished his soup and turned the stove off before moving it to cool on the counter by his casseroles. When the oven timer went off, Auran simply turned the oven off, the smell of chocolate permeated the apartment as she emptied a packaged salad into a serving bowl with tongs. “Now we wait.”

Maximus slipped on some sandals and went to check the portal before coming back to move the food to the table. Turning the sink on, he soaked the dishes they used to cook in soapy water. Louise and Karnak arrived first, Jen asked her soulmate “How was the conference?”

“Enlightening.” His attire was formal, although not in the Attilan style, meaning he came directly from the conference.

Auran looked to Louise who came up to the island “Karnak’s a scholar, I’m not sure what kind of conference he was at today.” She made a point of looking around, “This is a nice place.” She was dressed in white capris and a green blouse.

Maximus smiled “Thank you.” The black dining set, kitchen appliances, and living room furniture worked well with the dark grey fixtures. Wood paneling on the island and floors along with neutral earthy brown walls tied it all together.

Auran asked Louise “Is this the first time you’ve been here?”

“Yes. Only Karnak occasionally stayed here with Jen, I visited her in the medical suite a few times but never here.”

Maximus stood up straight from leaning on the island, “For the most part it’s a standard floor plan. Like most living quarters, it was built during the expansion so we had almost full control over the design but we kept it simple. Since it was built during the expansion, odds are we helped build it.” He pointed to the door closer to the windows on his right hand side, “The standard design has a spare room there and both bathrooms accessible through the bedrooms, we switched out the guest bathroom and spare room.” He pointed to the door closer to the kitchen “By keeping both the laundry room and bathroom on the small side, we were able to have a larger living space.” Pointing to the doors on either corner of the left wall, he said “The bedrooms are there and there. All master suites lock due to the standardized designs.”

Louise said “Nice.”

Maximus shrugged “You can look around, our room is locked like always but the rest are open.”

Auran asked “Where’s Gorgon?”

“I don’t know, I think he’s up in Attilan with Black Bolt and Medusa.”

“You weren’t up there?”

“No, I was working with Jack Tompka at the school, he’s a young technopath and our gift is rather rare so,” she shrugged. “Pietro and Crystal live close to Wanda so they’re planet side.” She then noticed the Curious George cup, “That’s so cute.”

Auran said “Gordon, of all people, gave it to us.”

“Well, Gordon does have a son.”

“He does? How’d we miss that?”

Maximus said “Calvin, named for Daisy’s father and Gordon’s stepfather.”

Auran shot him a look “That’s kind of relevant.”

“Not really. What’s relevant is that the boy is colorblind and prefers solid colors. I’ve watched Calvin before and I’m sure you’ve heard jokes about Raina’s kid not having spikes.”

“Oh, right. I forgot Raina and Gordon-” Auran and Maximus nodded.

Pietro, Crystal and Luna arrived next. The little girl’s eyes lit up at the sight of the yellow cup. She was dressed in a Vision t-shirt and jean shorts, her father was wearing a light blue exercise shirt and matching cargo shorts while her mother wore a yellow polo and blue shorts. The casual attire message had clearly been received, as had the silent request to take shoes off at the door. The young princess picked up her cup and excitedly showed her father. Auran smiled “You can explore any room that’s unlocked.” Pietro caught the cup as Luna ran off to do that.

Crystal started to ask “Are you-”

“There’s nothing she can get into that’s not safe. If Gorgon were here then I’d worry.”

Louise agreed “Yeah, he might pick her up near something unsafe.” When Crystal looked surprised, she added “I don’t think he’d do it on purpose but we all know he can be a bit oblivious to certain dangers. There’s a reason he wasn’t allowed to hold her as a baby unsupervised.” The mother of the child in question nodded. He tried to spin the baby much too early, earning a few jabs from his cousins about his future kids.

Jen and Karnak broke apart as Luna ran past them to try the doors in the corners. One opened easily and she went in, finding a big bed to jump on. Pietro said “You’re not worried?”

“That’s a bedroom,” said Jen “Both doors lead to bedrooms but the other one is locked. I’d be more worried about the bookshelf in the adjacent room, it’s probably the most dangerous thing in that part of the apartment.”

Maximus said “You’re all welcome to explore any room that’s not locked.”

Jen nodded “They lock their room on the way out.”

Louise asked “How do you-”

Maximus answered “I went in to grab my laptop while Jen was here, she’s begun teaching me to code. I can code in Kree but the rules and keys are a bit different, otherwise I would just use a translation program like we did for the AI.”

Pietro followed Luna, finding her rolling around on what was a fully made full bed. Crystal rolled her eyes as twin screams of joy reached them, Auran pulled out a brownie pan and passed it to Maximus who placed it on top of the fridge. Karnak asked “Why are you doing that?”

“Gorgon,” the couple answered in unison.

Thinking it over, Karnak accepted that answer. His cousin was more likely to try to steal from the oven than take the pan down to steal from the top of the fridge. Maximus opened the fridge, pulled out a bowl and set it next to the brownies. “Why?”

Maximus said “As the pan cools, the icing will melt.”

Jen asked “What were you watching when you got this recipe?”

Auran shrugged “Food Network.”

Along with the king and queen, Gorgon caught the last word “Brownies?” The Captain of the Royal Guard was dressed in a tank top and khakis, Black Bolt was wearing a black polo and shorts, Medusa wore a purple blouse and denim shorts.

Crystal winced as his voice carried into the other room. Her husband and daughter raced into the room, echoing “Brownies?”

Maximus pointed to the top of the fridge “We have to let them cool and shouldn’t you be on Crystal’s side teaching Luna, at least, dessert after dinner? Pietro is obviously a lost cause.”

“Yeah, my metabolism issue was met with lots of chocolate, guess I’m addicted.”

Maximus looked between the three before addressing Luna “You can have one glass of orange pop or three glasses of root beer and you can have a glass of apple juice while you think about it but you don’t get any soda without dinner.” She ran to her place at the table, leaving her parents shocked before they realized Maximus had just bribed her.

Crystal said “You can deal with the sugar high.”

“Gladly,” that stopped the parents in their tracks as the rest of the visiting family took their seats, Louise pouring apple juice in Luna’s Curious George cup.

Auran said “She can spend the night if it’s alright with you.”

Luna asked, pretty much begged her parents to let her. Pietro managed to calm her down by saying “Let’s see how dinner goes,” as he took his seat on her right.

At the last second, Maximus detoured to grab a stack of bowls and serving utensils. A few moments passed in relative silence as the food was passed around before Medusa asked “What is this?” about the rice dish Luna was scarfing down.

“Cheesy chicken casserole,” Auran said, turning to Maximus “Was it Cody or Mark who suggested it?”

“Mark brought it up but they both debated it before Alice realized they were talking about the same thing.”

“Right.”

Luna asked “Can I have seconds on that?” pointing to the casserole and surprising her parents with a clean plate.

As Pietro dished out another serving, he asked Auran “Do either of them have a cookbook?”

“We got the recipes off the internet.”

“I could write down the one I used.” Maximus said “Cody might have a few ideas for little kids, he probably cooked for Luke and Skylar when he could.”

“Right, good idea.”

“Just don’t tell him we made this,” Auran said “I do not want to get in the middle of him and Mark again on this one.”

“I can’t imagine it’d be that big of a fight.”

“Mark slipped into Shi’ar for a solid minute, which means he is really steamed. It’s hilarious in hindsight. Of all things for them to get riled up about, it’s a casserole. We were in space for over a year, we were- actually, maybe the fact we were living on alien food had something to do with that.”

“Maybe,” agreed Louise “Did they ever-?” She bumped her fists together.

“Mark always found ways to push Cody to the edge and sometimes Cody tried to return the favor but between Faith and Alice, no they never went all out. Once Cody discovered he could fly, he tried to mess with Mark but his timing was terrible.”

“What? I don’t-”

“Cody would fly around the ship and act like the gravity was malfunctioning. The problem he kept running into was other people walking into the area he was floating in. On the upside, he mastered his powers.” They all chuckled.

Luna asked “What’s Cody’s power?”

Pietro said “Cody can absorb energy and use it to fly or blast stuff.”

Louise asked “Do you cook a lot?”

“Not really.” Auran said “We usually have leftovers for days so twice a week, maybe. Sometimes we just eat cereal or something.”

“Twice a week is more than we do,” said Crystal. “Viz likes to try his hand at cooking, he’s pretty good considering he doesn’t eat.” The princess was pleasantly surprised when her daughter took over the conversation and Maximus actually engaged her.

After dinner, Maximus pulled the brownie pan while Auran moved to clear the table. Pietro beat her to it, sitting back down when he finished. “Thanks.”

Setting the pan and bowl down, Maximus grabbed a few plastic throw away knives to spread the icing. Auran cut the brownies free from their individual molds and passed them around on plates. Luna’s eyes lit up when Pietro put a dollop of whipped icing on hers and helped her frost it. They waited until everybody had one before eating, Maximus picked up his and ate it like a taco, Luna following suit. “Thanks, Aunt Auran, Uncle Max.”

“You’re welcome.” Auran said while Maximus signed the words, Luna mimicking him and looking at Black Bolt for approval. Medusa showed her the signs slowly until she mastered them.

Luna asked “What’s the word for people who can’t talk?”

“Mute,” answered Maximus. “Blind is when you can’t see, deaf is when you can’t hear and colorblind is when you can’t see color. Dogs are colorblind.”

“Oh.” The table’s occupants shot meaningful looks at each other but nobody spoke for the rest of the meal.

As Maximus led her to the couch to watch cartoons, Auran put the last of the dishes in the sink. Max turned off the surround sound so the adults could talk. “How’s the trial going?”

“The whole thing is really a formality. Even if they declare a mistrial, Cole and Schultz will still face Atlantean justice. I get why they’re doing this, every one of their victims deserves justice but it’s a lot of stress for something that overall doesn’t matter.”

Louise said “A footnote in history is still remembered history. The trial may be a formality to you but it’s more than victims of Arcade got.”

“I know.”

Crystal couldn’t help watching Maximus watch Luna. He remained on the couch as his youngest cousin ran around the living room area, yammering at her ‘Uncle Max’ who kept her contained, cartoons played on the big screen in the background. Crystal smiled to herself, confident that Maximus and Auran really could handle her for a night. Beside her, Pietro watched them from the corner of his eye. When it was time to leave, they hugged Luna goodnight, letting her stay to her absolute joy.

With most of the family gone, Auran washed the dishes and closed all the windows, turning on the ceiling fans spread throughout the room, while Maximus chased Luna to tire her out. Going to their room, she picked up his laptop to put it on top of his dresser in their room, thinking about turning the spare room in the guest suite into an office. When the noise from the TV didn’t go down after a few hours, she came back out to find Maximus and Luna laying on the couch. She said “Wake up.” Her super soldier husband woke instantly, speaking softly “Yes?”

“How about you put Luna in an actual bed and come join me in ours?”

Nodding, he turned the TV off first then carefully picked up his cousin/pseudo-niece and took her to the guest room. He took the time to change before climbing into bed and curling up with his wife.

The next morning, Maximus was standing in the kitchen with a pan on the stove when Auran woke up. She pulled out a bottle of syrup, a stick of butter, a can of whipped cream and a bottle of milk from the fridge. Three cups, plates and forks from the dishes left to dry the night before as well as two butter knives from the drawer joined them on the raised part of the counter. She was preparing three place settings in front of the bar stools after putting the remaining dishes away when Luna came out. Auran smiled “Morning, Luna.”

“G’morning.” She walked over and Maximus slipped around his wife to lift their cousin up to her spot. “Pancakes!”

Returning to his place at the stove, he hummed while Auran poured milk into the Curious George cup that was officially Luna’s, handing it to the little girl “Drink up.” 

Sipping her milk, she watched as he added to the already big stack of pancakes until he was out of batter then turned the stove off and set the pan in the soapy water in the sink. Max set the serving dish on the lower part of the island leaving Auran to plate them and taking his seat beside Luna. Jen had noted how easily they moved around each other, an adult in Luna’s place might say they moved with enviable fluidity. Two pancakes were set on the first plate, which Maximus buttered, cut then put syrup on and topped with a little whipped cream for Luna before taking the next plate given to him which had about half the pancakes he made on it. “That looks like something daddy would eat.”

“We both eat a lot, that’s for sure.”

Auran split the remaining pancakes between her plate and the serving plate then put a lid over the rest, taking her place at the end of the island. Luna yammered at both of them and seemed almost surprised when they responded. Maximus remembered when Medusa married Black Bolt and little Crystal joined the Royal Family, she was so much younger than the rest of them that it was only natural for them to be a little distant. They finished breakfast and put the dishes in the sink before getting dressed to take Luna to the portal, Maximus picked Luna up to scan her bracelet.

Since portals became commonplace, Oscorp came out with bracelets for kids that allowed them to portal home with a swipe of their wrist as a solution to lost children. The bracelets were activated at the kid’s nearest portal and connected to an online database so parents could update their default portal as they moved or new portals were installed. While the system required parents to pay a yearly fee to remain active, law enforcement could use inactive bracelets to return missing kids to their rightful parents. The whole thing made Norman Osbourne look like a great humanitarian while LancerTech shared in a small portion of the profits as the sole proprietor of portal technology.

After scanning her bracelet, Maximus settled Luna in his arms and walked through the open portal. “Where-” before he could finish that thought Pietro was standing in front of them.

“The bracelet sends a notification to our phones,” he said by way of explanation as he took Luna from Maximus. “Did you have fun with your Uncle Max?”

“Yeah.”

Maximus said “See you soon,” and waved goodbye as he stepped back through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got away from me, ten pages according to Google Docs. I just wanted to show the family dynamics, build upon them after focusing on Mark's connection to the Shi'ar and what being an Omega class mutant means for Cody. However, I can't say I hate how this turned out because after writing this, the next two chapters sorta flowed. I have an ending planned out, I just have to figure out how to get there.  
> For the record, Who Am I, the next story in this series, runs a bit concurrent to this one. As a matter of fact, all of the chapters currently up either take place before this story or during the five years the Talos crew was in space. These stories are connected but not necessarily consecutive.


	25. Lai Shi

The couple had a busy day ahead. With several major shipments due in, Maximus was tapped to help load and unload vehicles. Since returning from the Talos mission, Auran had become a TO (training officer) for the police. Every law officer in the nation of Attilan served as a reserve member of the military and soldiers were entitled to a transfer to their local police academy after they completed their time in the service.

Maximus brought lunch up to the training grounds for everybody, waiting out of sight for his wife to call a break. “How was the drop off?” asked Auran when they sat down away from the trainees.

“It went well, Pietro acted like Luna never left his sight before.” They knew that wasn’t true since the little girl was never at family dinner, a weekly commitment for the rest of them.

Auran smiled, suppressing a laugh, “What am I forgetting?” Maximus raised an eyebrow at that. “You didn’t bring everybody lunch for no reason.”

“Actually I did, although I’ll admit it was suggested to me by a coworker at the port.” Lai Shi did not, in fact, have a port in the traditional sense as the mountain city did not have a natural waterway but the area designated for shipping was often called the port. The city itself was the primary port for the capital city of Attilan, making their busy days particularly exhausting.

“Ah.” They ate their lunch in silence for several seconds before Auran asked “How are things with Dr. Garner?”

“Good, I suppose. Have you found someone you like?”

“I’m going to check out the center here, I’ll let you know what I find.”

Maximus nodded mutely, looking around. Training took place on the upper plateau, an avalanche barrier Crystal created using displaced Earth from the tunnel system below the city. The city’s lower plateau doubled as its park since Flora covered the area with foliage, hiding the entrance to the infrastructure tunnels in plain sight. His watch beeped, sparing him from trying to salvage the awkward silence. “I best get going.” He gathered their rubbish and led some of her students down to the city. On days when the port was particularly busy, those with valuable gifts had their schedules reworked to lend a hand.

Down in the clearing beside the city that served as the port, Loyolis, who was in charge of the port and a member of the Lai Shi Council of Elders, skipped the pleasantries as he greeted Maximus, “I need you to switch out with Carmen, Kanen’s impatience is putting us behind.”

The prince raised an eyebrow “Why were two of the most temperamental people in Lai Shi paired up? They’re not even in the same strength class.”

Kanen had little respect and even less patience for the natives of Earth, preferring to do his work and ignore the fact he was living on Earth now. Carmen fled to the Inhuman nation after his brother was killed by a man who mistook him for an alien, his whole family having undergone Terrigenesis. They were the last people who should be paired up for anything.

“It was an oversight, I think they may have paired themselves up by accident.” Loyolis knew Maximus meant no disrespect.

“I’ll send Carmen over.” The super soldier walked over to the pair, informing Carmen “You’re being reassigned.” The man stood up and lumbered over to Loyolis, his physical transformation having led him to believe he would be taken out like his brother.

Kanen said “Kid’s not even in my class.”

“True but you’ve been told before that the only way to rise through the ranks here is to help new Inhumans, including those of Earthly origins.”

“I know,” Kanen brushed it off “What makes you think I want to rise through the ranks?”

As they moved to a truck that was waiting to be unloaded, Maximus shrugged “Legacy. Do you want to be a part of the statistics or a part of history?”

“I don’t care for that.”

“Is that why you are the only moon Inhuman who has not completed an education program?”

“Sure.” Kanen wasn’t dense, he just wasn’t nice. “I know what you’re doing.”

“Of course, I believe even Gorgon would catch on to such an obvious ploy. He seems to have grown, intellectually, since meeting his soulmate.”

“Really? Y’know you’re not supposed to talk about your family like that around us mere citizens.”

“The Genetic Council was among the first to write me off for dead, the people of Lai Shi among the last, my family fell somewhere in the middle I believe. Kanen, there is more to life in Lai Shi than the port.”

“You’d know.” Kanen sighed, “Why do you care about me so much?”

“Do you remember my speech when I claimed the throne of Attilan?”

“Yeah, a little.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Maximus’ face “That explains why everyone else has found ways to make my words ring true. You could be like Carmen or you could be like Loyolis. Which would you prefer? Carmen, who flees from trouble only to find himself in a different kind of trouble or Loyolis, who takes the hand he’s been dealt and improves it. I’m not sure if you’re aware but Loyolis not only runs the port, he’s also on the Council of Elders. He was chosen because the existing Council viewed him as a leader among the new residents.”

“I’m aware.”

A couple hours later, they were given a break and went inside the port office to escape the heat. Maximus asked Kanen “Can you read?”

“What?” The other man was known to have something of a temper, for which Maximus was beginning to suspect the cause of.

“Can you read? I assumed, like ‘most everyone, that you had simply not found your soulmate and that made you- regardless, if you cannot read then there is no way for you to know whether you have met them or not. Your soulmate could have assumed you did not want them or that they did not say your words, a simple misunderstanding really.”

“Oh, uh, Loyolis’ daughter, Iridia, she’s a teacher. I’ll ask for lessons tonight.”

The port’s busiest day of the month was often dubbed Shipping Day, a semi-official holiday in Lai Shi marked by races and a party in the empty port. If the port was not empty in time, the holiday was called off and people went about the next day as usual. If the port was cleared then all local businesses opened late the next day to allow people to stay up late celebrating. It was a common occurrence in Lai Shi for soulmates to find each other at the Shipping Day celebration and for important announcements to be made at the start of the festivities, there was even an ongoing joke that they didn’t need a newspaper as long as they had Shipping Day. Only those who were part of the exodus knew that Shipping Day started as a weekly celebration marking the progress made during the expansion and the practice of kicking it off with announcements came from Prince Maximus sharing his progress in the super-soldier program.

That night was a special Shipping Day, the first time guests would be invited and allowed to record. Daisy had spoken with the Royal Family before granting the film crew permission to come and record. As Maximus and Kanen returned from their break, they saw Loyolis was missing. The Elder in charge of import/export or the port for short, he normally stayed outside for the entire day on a busy day. One of the men from Auran’s training group asked Maximus “Do you know what’s going on with Loyolis?”

“The documentary crew probably wants to interview all of the Elders, I wouldn’t worry, they might not even use his interview.”

“The documentary, that’s today?”

As Maximus and Kanen set down their load, the former gestured to the port around them with a few trucks being offloaded. Loyolis scheduled shipments so that they never had vehicles waiting, truckers were expected in the latter half of the day and cargo planes expected fast service in the morning to even out the workload. The Inhuman seemed to catch the not-so-subtle hint and got back to work. Residents who worked for Loyolis full-time guided the departure of trucks and planes alike. Loyolis often arranged for extra shipments in the days leading up to Shipping Day in order to produce lighter loads in the days following but some companies would only send cargo on certain days in the month, hopefully the documentary would change that.

When Loyolis returned, about fifteen minutes after he left, a young cameraman was with him. “Normally,” he said to the man “I wouldn’t allow anyone who wasn’t here to work in this area unless they were here for the party but since you have special permission to film the day’s events, I’ll make an exception.” The Royal Family, Genetic Council, Lai Shi Council of Elders and the joint-council all agreed to do the documentary, the first in Attilan history and film makers hoped not the last. The cameraman watched as Loyolis joined the others at work, occasionally hollering at others to switch when a pair wasn’t working fast enough. When he took his break, Loyolis explained for the camera “I try to match people based on strength level and personality to maximize efficiency. The only time Shipping Day celebrations had to be cancelled was when we had people arguing about as much as they worked.”

The cameraman pointed at the office, where port workers could occasionally be seen going in and out “What’s that?”

“Break room. Our map still lists it as an office but when we have days that are especially busy or hot, even five minutes in there can keep people from overheating. It was one of the first permanent structures finished during the expansion. That was our cafeteria, council chamber, warehouse, anything we needed it to be when the most of Lai Shi was under construction. I’ll show you the inside once we finish. Are you sure you don’t want to get someone else recording the runners?” Maximus heard his word choice and spread the word that the ATV drivers were not to be called drones around the film crew. From them, it was an affectionate name. From outsiders, it would surely be taken out of context.

The cameraman answered “No, we’ll probably get enough film of that wandering between interviews.”

“Alright then.”

Maximus walked up to Loyolis and spoke too quietly for either the camera or cameraman to heal “You are going to overheat if you don’t at least step into the office.”

Loyolis nodded, introducing “Prince Maximus, this is Jacob Bates.” He told the cameraman “If you don’t mind, Prince Maximus has offered to walk you through our system while I go and report our progress.” He was out of practice using the other man’s title but the advanced notice he had as a member of the Council enabled him to hide it well.

“Follow me, Mr. Bates.” He explained the process, keeping up a formal way of speaking that kept others from approaching as they normally would- commoners didn’t approach a prince the way they would a friend. When Loyolis came back, he carefully took over for his highness, who returned to work almost immediately.


	26. Shipping Day

The Royal Family was expected to attend, as they had signed off on the documentary, and thus, Gordon had to meet with Gorgon to coordinate security. They didn’t want their borders violated because they allowed one film crew to visit. Auran sent her people home early, as many supervisors did on Shipping Days, and went home herself, rather than check in with the local police as she normally did. When she heard the announcement about the documentary, she thought they would only be recording the festivities but some of her trainees who worked the port that morning told her they already saw the crew around the city so she figured Maximus would probably get held up at work. Once home, she reheated some of their leftovers and left the food cooling on the counter while she went to change out of her uniform.

Attilan police didn’t look that different from other countries but there were definitely major differences in the way they worked. Only residents in select occupations, such as police officers, were allowed to carry any kind of weapon and officers were subject to random tests to ensure they continued to meet department standards. They didn’t have fat cops because officers had to be able to pass the same tests trainees did to become officers and they could be tested at any time, with few medical exceptions- namely maternity leave, injury or illness as documented by a local doctor. Officers were given a set number of times they could call in every year and those days rolled over into the next if left unused but if they showed up, they had better meet standards for officer graduation. They didn't differentiate between sick days and vacation days, playing hooky wasn't a problem.

Maximus returned home while Auran was changing. Bypassing the bedroom on his way to the shower was no problem, they were both mature adults. After spending all day out in the hot sun moving heavy boxes, most port workers took cold showers and Maximus was no exception, although he often took cold showers to conserve hot water. While he was in the shower, Auran went to the bathroom on the other side of the apartment to take her own shower. Usually, she wouldn’t even worry about changing after work for the Shipping Day festivities but due to the documentary, they both had to dress nicer than usual and she decided last minute to shower as well. All of the curtains in the apartment were closed to block out the sun’s heat, making the place almost as dark as it was in the dead of night.

Due to the documentary, they both had to dress nice when they would usually dress casual for Shipping Day parties. The couple showered, changed, ate leftovers then joined the party prep. For Shipping Day, they set up tables in one of the alleys for food and drinks, party games against the office, tables and chairs were spread around the grassy area across from the sandy shipping center. Technically everyone in Attilan was welcome to Shipping Day celebrations and equally welcome to contribute to the success of the day but for the most part, only Lai Shi residents and guests attended. However, when it came to a local band playing the party, local was a relative term.

Like always, Maximus took one of the most dangerous jobs, setting up the rain tarp. A holdover from when people celebrated and slept in the town square, the same pulley system was employed on the roofs of nearby buildings with extra poles set in the ground to cover the whole party area. Tonight’s headline race was Maximus versus an ATV ridden by Bobby Drake, Auran would bet the matter of the prince’s race was debated by the councils before permission was given for the Shipping Day documentary. As a potential heir to the throne, a certain public image was expected of his highness. Auran noted that a few empty crates were being repurposed as booths for special children’s activities like coloring and face painting. Surely somebody told the film crew that Shipping Day was adapted from celebrations they had during the expansion. Aside from asking people to report any harassment or criminal activity they saw, the announcement and newsletter emphasized trying to have as normal a Shipping Day as possible. If a few businesses took advantage of the extra money walking around, most likely unaware of their community values, nobody said anything. Humans called Attilan the Inhuman nation and scorned their caste system- which Auran wasn’t even sure was still in effect- but they were a community above all else. Their caste system was established to enable them to make the most of every citizen. Natives were free to move into any new city, which often led to a bit of a power struggle- especially when those new Attilan states joined for the portal tech- but eventually, their people helped their new neighbors adjust and prosper. The expansion solved their overpopulation and poverty problems, this was a nation Auran’s cousin Rhea would be proud of. Thinking about Rhea, her sister in all but blood as her father raised them both on his own, made her think of her father and his steadfast support of the caste system. Would he be proud of this world they built? Or would he be ashamed of the path that led to it? Auran would never know, if Maximus hadn’t offered to be a pallbearer and Rhea, who was somehow his legal next of kin, hadn’t accepted then Auran wouldn’t have even been able to attend the funeral. She shook those thoughts from her head, glad that the people of Lai Shi were keeping both her and Maximus out of view of the film crew. Her husband caught her eye from where he stood on the edge of the last roof, the building beneath him marked the end of the city. He looked down at the ground below, a gentle slope that turned steep leading to the official Lai Shi border. Auran knew what he was asking and a quick glance at the film crew, engrossed in conversation with one of the Elders, earned a nod before she turned back to her work. A few of the younger volunteers, likely there for the film crew, watched in barely disguised awe as Maximus took a shortcut off the building, jumping off the roof and using a series of flips to control his descent enough for a relatively safe landing. The display of gymnastics wasn’t quite up to his usual level of showmanship but to the film crew, the clip would have been gold anyway. Brushing himself off, even Auran could admit to being jealous of the way his clothes weren’t worse for wear after he pulled stunts like that, Maximus walked over to the group of volunteers. One of the women, possibly Loyolis’ wife Paripan, quickly directed him to where there was heavy lifting to be done.

The Royal Family arrived without fanfare, mostly because they slipped in right when the band began playing covers- most people took the music as a sign the party was starting. Pietro quickly stole away some chairs, giving them all a place to sit around one of the tables. The band stopped playing after Bobby walked his dirt bike up to the line for the race. Maximus stood beside him, his stance relaxed as Drake put his helmet on and turned the key in his ride. Lincoln stood on the line between them, “Alright. Remember, win or lose, you have to shake hands. Ready?” They both nodded, Maximus adjusting his stance slightly to be more of a runner’s stance but still very relaxed, he had yet to lose a race. Lincoln raised a hand, electricity sparking between his fingers “Set.” As he threw down a bolt of electricity, he yelled “Go!” The two took off, Maximus made keeping pace with an ATV look easy as they raced through the alley. The band had stopped playing so everyone could focus on the start of the race, they started back up with simple songs to fill the silence- the dancefloor had to clear on a moment’s notice since the finish line was on the other side.

Louise sought out her sister Alice to say “Is it just me or does Cody seem more stable?”

“I’m afraid it might not last.”

“It will. C’mon.”

The pair slipped into the office where Daisy Johnson was waiting, “What’s up?”

Louise handed her a phone, one of her special untraceable smartphones from Mag's war, “Now that the Illuminati have been exposed, it’s time for the Olympus Group to come out of the shadows. That should be enough to keep them away from the school and Attilan.”

“What’s on it?” Daisy fidgeted with the phone, careful not to turn it on.

“Everything.” When Louise and Alice stood side by side, people often wondered how they missed the uncanny resemblance. The truth was, they were more interchangeable than identical, meaning people forgot that there was two of them instead of one.

Daisy addressed Alice next, “What are you here for?”

“Cody and I are, er, were members of the Olympus Group, if you need testimony. We also know a few members and, well, we know others who would testify if we can prove it’s not a trap.”

“So we’ll need to shut down the Group before then?”

“Yes and let’s keep this from Cody. If they haven’t contacted him, maybe he can start to move on from them.”

“Okay.” Daisy pocketed the phone “We should get back out there before your husbands notice you’ve disappeared.”

Alice looked at Louise “You had a ceremony?”

“No. In Attilan, soulmate and spousal rights are pretty much the same thing, meaning wedlock and the bond are also nearly synonymous.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“It really doesn’t.”

“We’re legally twins but if you want to get technical-”

“Not right now.”

Gorgon asked “What’s going on?”

Louise answered without missing a beat “Security check, I’m a technopath.”

“Oh, right.”

Alice almost laughed as she turned left her sister, seeking out her own soulmate. “What’s up?” asked Cody when she found him in the alley where refreshments were set up.

The doctor looked around before switching to Kree and explaining how Gorgon forgot what Louise’s power was. _“I think we should tell them about mine.”_

“Me too.” He set his plate down and moved to hold his wife, whispering in English “During training, I thought Auran and Maximus should know then when he figured mine out, I thought they did know and finding out Gorgon is Louise’s soulmate, I- he’s family, they all are, so why not?”

“Sounds good.”

“After the race, then?”

“Sounds perfect.” He picked up his plate and pointed to the punch bowl, the cooler beneath held pitchers to refill. Two members of the film crew came into the alley to interview people, Cody and Alice skirted past them, sitting down at a table near the one the Royal Family was gathered around.

The band stopped playing as the sound of an ATV reached the clearing, people made way for the racers. They all looked up when the sound of the motor began to rise and watched Bobby clear the alley with an impossibly high jump. As his bike hit the ground, small shards of ice went flying around him and Maximus caught up just as he got the bike turned facing the right way. For the first time in a long time, they had a photo finish. Lincoln cut through the crowd gathered around the two and grabbed Bobby’s hand, raising it up “It was close but you won.”

Maximus walked up to his opponent and offered his hand as Lincoln walked away, “Good race?”

Bobby shook the offered hand “Good race.”

“Do you smell smoke?”

Bobby looked down and hopped off the dirt bike, Maximus lifted the vehicle to give the other man a clear shot to cool it down before a fire could erupt from it. Joey Gutierrez walked up to him “Need a hand?”

“I don’t even know where to begin,” admitted Bobby before seeming to realize the speaker was a stranger. He glanced over at Joey, who was kneeling next to him looking at the partially frozen underside of the dirt bike. Maximus could see the moment the other man’s race registered as Bobby swallowed and turned back to the bike, listening intently as Joey gave advice. The prince was halfway to the table his family had claimed when he overheard Bobby suddenly ask what the mechanic’s first language was and the equally sudden silence that surrounded them as the question’s deeper meaning registered. Maximus made a detour to borrow two crayons and a piece of paper from the coloring booth before getting Luna and Calvin to follow him. After setting the paper down, he had the kids take seats on either end. “Write hi,” he gave Luna a crayon “And ni hao,” giving Calvin the other one.

They both wrote what he asked and Maximus folded the paper into fourths, showing them what the other wrote. It was a safe bet that their very first word to each other was hi and the way their faces lit up confirmed it. Of course, being as young as they were, their first instinct was to share the news with their parents. Maximus left the paper and excused himself to get some food. Purposefully, he went around the dancefloor in order to catch Kanen then abandoned that plan when he saw the way the strongman was looking at Iridia, clearly in love and most likely soulmates. Mark found him in the alley where the food and drinks were, “Is Shipping Day always like this?”

“More or less, we have more visitors tonight but a big turn out is to be expected.”

“Right.” Mark asked “Do you always race dirt bikes?”

“No, sometimes I race motorcycles or another Inhuman on foot. My opponent often changes but the races began as a way to celebrate the end of a hard work week and Shipping Day celebrates the month’s hardest day.”

“Right. I think it’s awesome.”

“Yes,” Maximus switched to Kree _“Your time on this planet may be limited. You do realize this, yes?”_

“Yeah.”

When he returned to the table, Alice and Cody came over, “Uh,” Cody looked around quickly “Max, did you ever figure out what Alice’s power is?”

“It’s not thermal yet allows her to induce hypothermia, correct?”

“Uh, yeah, I think.”

“You have energy powers and apparently soulmates’ powers are usually related in some way so I’m gonna guess energy powers. Am I on the right track?”

“What, are we playing twenty questions? Sure.”

“Life force manipulation, and that was two clarifying questions, I even explained how I got from one to the next so you wouldn’t call it a logic jump.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Crystal asked “Did he guess right?”

“Yeah. Although you never explained how you figured out my power.”

“You got shot and didn’t notice,” explained Auran. “I know because it was one of those fights that involved everyone except Alice.”

“Oh, guess that’s a big clue.”

Louise facepalmed “How have you not blown yourself up by now?”

“I honestly don’t know,” said the energy mutant with a big smile.

"Are you supposed to be chaperoning?"

"Yeah but the students all have perfect control and they've been to this before."

"Okay."

Jen disappeared, literally, moments before the director led a cameraman over to interview the Family. Maximus kept them on track, the film was about Shipping Day not court politics. Lincoln waited until the pair walked away to approach Maximus about disputing the results of the race. "I won't dispute the results, Bobby can't afford a rematch."

"But you agree with his claim of outside interference?"

"When's the last time Kanen attended Shipping Day?" Maximus pointed to the Inhuman in question briefly.

"I don't know."

"Neither do I. Bobby won, I lost, call it what you will but that's the result."

"Okay." Lincoln shook his hand and left them alone.

Maximus explained to the Royal Family "Kanen lifted a sheet of metal to give Bobby a ramp for his jump. If Bobby had made the ramp using his powers then there'd be no foul. In case of a dispute, both the loser and winner have to agree there was a foul before competing in a rematch. Bobby claimed outside interference, I agreed but refused to dispute his win so a share of the betting pool will go to him."

"You could've given him your share," Auran pointed out "You never keep it anyway."

"The point is that a rematch is impractical." Maximus smiled "Plus, winning the race led him to meet his other half." Separating soulmates so soon after their first meeting was considered cruel in any culture.

The film crew got more than they bargained for when someone requested Nirvana and the band started to play Heart-Shaped Box before the mic was snatched away from the young Inhuman singer. The girl who snatched the mic was the same one the singer often serenaded when the band performed love songs. Holding the mic away from her body, she hissed “Not that one.”

The drummer suggested “Teen Spirit?”

“Yeah or Come As You Are,” agreed the singer. “Up to you guys.”

“Both, back to back,” decided the lead guitarist. “Start with Teen Spirit.”

“Sounds good to me.” His girlfriend hopped down once the discussion began. “Load up on guns, bring your friends. It’s fun to lose and to pretend. She’s over-bored and self-assured, uh-oh, I know a dirty word.” When they got to the chorus, the flood lights were turned off. The film crew got a shot of different people glowing, either naturally or by exercising powers like pyrokinesis. “With the lights out, it’s less dangerous!” was the only warning anyone had that the lights were about to go out. The lights stayed off for the whole song and only turned on at the end as the Inhuman began to chant “A denial,” closing the song. A few moments passed in total silence as the excitement wore off a bit before he spoke “Who wants more Nirvana?” A lot of kids who had probably never heard Nirvana before bounced up and down, waving their hands while the adults were more subdued in their excitement. “Alright. Then we’ll play the usual Shinedown songs, how’s that?” Two songs were often associated with Shipping Day, How Did You Love and Second Chance.


	27. Pregnancy

Following those songs, they moved on to slower songs couples could dance to after the kids were taken home for the night. Lai Shi didn’t have a hotel or motel, visitors either spent the night in jail or an apartment. When they were being processed to enter the city, the film crew signed a waiver leaving their placement up to the local authorities’ discretion. Had they not behaved, they would be escorted to the jail when the first kids left. Since they more or less behaved themselves, a PD trainee took them to their apartment a few songs after the last kids went home. Once the crew was gone, Loyolis came up to the Royal Family. As both the man in charge of the port and the Elder responsible for representing that part of the city, he had worked with the Royal Family on several occasions and was even on a first name basis with all of them. “The crew’s gone. I got a couple of teenagers willing to trade work for a place to spend the night, I’m gonna let them crash in the warehouse and put them on clean up.”

“Alright,” said Maximus, knowing full-well that report was meant for him. When Bronaja was not in town on Shipping Day and not expected the following day, Maximus hung around the port to clean up after the party. When Loyolis’ son was around, the two of them usually caught up while taking care of that. Pulsus, the chief of police in Lai Shi, caught Loyolis as he went to lock up his office and the two discussed his decision to let outsiders crash so close to the port records. Maximus saw two outcomes of that conversation, either Loyolis would move the current records or Pulsus would have someone watch the teens in case they tried to break into the Elder’s office.

Some of the Royal Family took advantage of the cameras’ absence to enjoy the party. Lai Shi was the one place they were allowed to be people above all else, not royals or Enhanced. Others, such as Louise and Gorgon, called it a night. Maximus waved Alice and Cody over after her twin left to ask the energy mutant “Why do you keep looking between your wife and Louise?”

“Uh, plead the fifth.”

“We’re not in the US.”

“Still not my place to tell and if Alice doesn’t kill me for it, Louise sure will.”

“So your wife sensed something in Louise that is private in nature. I assume Alice would be the first to tell her sister if she was dying, which leaves only two possibilities. Either she’s pregnant or you think she’s been replaced.”

“How did you get to the second one?” A beat of silence passed then “Das’t!”

Ignoring that, Maximus turned to Alice “And you’re not telling your sister because-”

“I get a lot of false alarms.”

“Yet you told Cody.”

“I didn’t tell him.”

“He can sense it too?”

“No.”

“Then how come he doesn’t know about Jean?”

Cody opened his mouth to speak then glanced at Auran who quirked an eyebrow and thought better of it, realizing he’d get more information by watching. “How do you figure Jean’s pregnant?”

“It’s either Jean or Hepzibah with the way you looked at Cody when you mentioned false alarms and I doubt you understand her species well enough to pick up on that.”

“Are you sure you’re not psychic? I mean, not to sound like Cody but-”

“Psychic powers are not part of the super soldier package and I was tested both before and after I was injected for Inhuman gifts.”

“What if the serum didn’t trigger them but something else did?”

“What if I’m a passive psychic?”

“There’s a test for that. Since telepaths tend to go through a phase where they mistake their gifts for mental illness, the test the school uses picks up on small amounts of psychic powers to give an estimated power level.”

“Your point?”

“You could check to see if all those aliens were right.”

“Why?”

While his wife tried to think of a reason that’d convince Maximus, Cody asked “Are you screwing with us?”

“Always,” answered Maximus with a smile.

“No, seriously, are you just messing with us or are you for real here? ‘Cause if you’re for real, I can call Jean and set up the test but if you’re just screwing with us, why bother?”

Alice shot her husband a brief shocked look before Maximus answered “If I thought I might be psychic, I’d set up the test.”

“So you’re screwing with us, good to know.” He turned to his wife “Why did you clue me in about your sister but not my brother?”

“A, your brother’s not pregnant. B, Jean told us they’ve had miscarriages. And C, I didn’t clue you in, I told you Gorgon forgot what Louise’s power is; I have no idea how you got from that to pregnant.”

“What, but, what?” After going in circles with that for a few moments, Cody said “To be fair, you did think you sensed pregnancy in a man once.”

“Yeah, like a week after I realized I could sense life force energy.”

“What the hell even is life force?”

“One of two energies you can’t absorb,” guessed Auran.

“One of three, wait, no, I- I can absorb it!”

“Good to know.”

He glowered at her for a few moments before turning back to Louise “It wasn’t a week after you got your powers because that happened years before we met.”

“Hey, Cody.” Jen asked “Has it occurred to you that your wife is actually twice your age?”

“It’s not that big a gap. Wait,” he stopped and thought about it “Yeah, it’s not that big a gap.”

“But it’s still more than a decade and if your soulmate hasn’t been born yet,”

“Then you’re a Blank. No, that didn’t occur to me. Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was born a teenager.”

“Alright, that’s fair. It probably only occurred to me because my dad was in his twenties when my mom was born and people always seem to find that creepy somehow.”

“Cradle robber?”

“They’re soulmates, why is that the one stigma that applies to Blanks and Marked alike?”

“I don’t know,” Cody wandered away from his wife to talk to Jen and Alice had to stifle a laugh at how easily her husband was tricked. Although, luring someone into conversation and making them do something are two very different things. Cody would sooner fry someone alive than be their weapon.

Auran asked “Did you really tell Cody, of all people, about the time you thought a man was pregnant?”

“Okay, probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done but I’ve only had two people willingly and knowingly let me use my power on them. Cody and Mars, and Mars tried to marry me because his boss told him to.”

“Mars was another member of the Olympus Group?”

“Yeah and they wanted to make sure I never betrayed them so,”

“They tried to arrange some leverage.”

“Not hard to guess what the one thing someone with my power would want above all else. Then Cody got caught in the middle of a power struggle and nearly got himself killed trying to stop them from weaponizing kids, I saw his mark after we put him in a medically-induced coma. Mars tried to kill him to salvage the Group’s plan and, yeah, if anyone claims the name Mars, assume they’re a clone and an unstable one at that. The original one destabilized pretty fast, I mean, once it started, he had less than a month. And, from what Louise and I found when we looked into Arcade, usually clones degrade over the course of many weeks or months. Pregnancy speeds up the process, which is why my mother died the day I was born. She was a clone of Louise’s mother, who died several weeks later. Louise and I are three days apart but we’re legally twins. Anyway, with Mars, I learned how far I could go with my power before the damage was permanent or the other person died. They actually cloned Mars, who I’m pretty sure was a clone himself, a few times and tried to have me transferred so they could continue with their plan, which is how I found out the whole thing was a set up. I guess I should’ve figured Cody was an energy mutant, he always had too much energy for one person but I just thought that his body generated more in response to stress, giving him enhanced endurance. Funny thing is, given the situation with Mars and the almost arranged marriage, the Group got it in their head that I control Vulcan. Never have, never will, I just don’t treat him like a weapon the way they do. Still, nobody else can make him back down because nobody else tries to reason with him.”

“Back down?”

“Cody once tried to raid a base alone and nearly wound up burning the damn thing to the ground, I had to point out there were children inside before he’d stop and think about what he was doing.”

“I’m gonna be honest,” said Auran, “I still don’t get how they could mess up so badly with Cody. All I had to do was say his name to get him to focus.”

“They always called him Vulcan, or just told me to tell him to stand down, half the time I didn’t because of the way they were acting.” She shook her head “The way they said Vulcan, it’s like how I imagine HYDRA handlers addressed the Winter Soldier or Stryker would talk to Wolverine back when he was Weapon X. Took both of us long enough to realize how blurred the freaking lines were but by then we also knew the Group would label us traitors and kill us for trying to leave. Which is why Louise and I gave Daisy a drive with everything we could find on the Group, should be enough for SHIELD to move on them, hopefully without tipping them off and giving them a chance to cut their losses with their trainees.” The way she said trainees made Auran wonder what Alice’s training consisted of. “What were we talking about again?”

Maximus answered “Why you told Cody that you once sensed pregnancy in a man.”

“Oh, right. I’m surprised he remembered that, I only mentioned it when we were talking about control mishaps. He told me about getting so charged up, he zoned out and had to be pried off his foster brother, who he had in a restraining hold.”

“And you didn’t think it was strange a foster kid would be taught how to put another kid in a hold like that?”

“I already admitted it took both of us a stupid amount of time to realize things were bad.”

“Like SHIELD and HYDRA?”

“Yeah, I guess. Is it too late to head back to the school?”

“No, I’ll send you through.” When he saw his wife walking away with Maximus, Cody hurried to catch up. The rest of the Royal Family trickled out shortly after that, the band was winding down, getting ready to leave as some of the last partygoers picked up pieces of litter on their way out.

A few days later, Louise went down to the school to ask her sister “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“About?” One look at her sister’s angry face had Alice dropping the innocent act “Because I promised not to, remember? You know better than anyone how many false alarms I get, a lot of things can cause a shift in life force like that and you got mad the last time I accused you of being pregnant.” She rolled her eyes, “I mean, come on, I’ve sensed the shift in a man before, a human man.”

“Okay,” Louise could accept that. “Why’d you tell Maximus?”

“I didn’t, who told you I told Maximus? Cody recognized the look on my face when I looked at you and Gorgon, Maximus noticed Cody looking between us. After you left, Maximus tricked Cody into confirming his suspicions. When Cody tried to say he couldn’t say anything, Maximus said that meant you were either pregnant or replaced.”

“Replaced? How’d he get there?”

“Apparently those were the only possibilities because we’d tell you if you were in mortal danger. I don’t know, I think he was trying to rile Cody up and it worked, he asked the same thing you just did and Maximus asked why I’d tell Cody that you were pregnant and not that Jean was pregnant. Apparently looking at my husband when I mentioned false positives told him someone in our family was expecting, he said his second guess was Hepzibah but he doubted I understood her species well enough for that.”

“Wow, that’s-”

“Maximus.”

“Okay then.”

“So, I was right?”

“Yeah.”

“Cody and I got into it the day after the party, Alex saw us and got Scott in case they needed to separate us so that’s how he found out he might be a father. Did Maximus just tell you or-?”

“Jen suggested I take a test.”

“Oh,” Alice rubbed the back of her neck “I may have forgotten to mention to them that I sense the change before a test can pick up on it, I’m not sure.”

“This time it wasn’t that early so the test confirmed your suspicion.”

“Jean’s showed too, maybe I’m losing my touch.”

“I doubt it. Jen’s already working with SHIELD on taking down the Group.”

“Great.”

After an awkward silence, Louise said “See ya around.”

“See ya, sis.”

The technopathic twin went back to Attilan, opening a portal with a thought.


	28. The End of the Beginning

Bronaja spent three days running from base to base, leading teams to take down the Olympus Group after SHIELD discovered they were covering for their supposed enemy the ‘Illuminati’. Three days of non-stop missions was followed by a few hours of rest before the Director summoned him. “Agent Loyolis, follow me.” They took a portal to Attilan where they joined a meeting with several other people on the SWORD shortlist. Following Director Coulson’s nonverbal cues, he provoked Abigail Brand into slapping him in order to trigger a vision.

After Bobbi ordered agents to move on Henry Gyrich, Hunter Cassidy handed Bronaja a manilla envelope, “Take a week, read that, sign, initial each page just to be safe, and welcome to SWORD, Captain.”

An exhausted Bronaja asked “What?”

Coulson explained “This was your graduation. You can either stay with SHIELD or move on to SWORD, it’s your choice.”

“Thank you, sir.” He saluted the man then turned to leave.

Jen caught him in the doorway, “Congrats.” She held out a CD, “It’s just a mixtape.” He took the disc with a nod and continued on his way. “Think fast,” Jen tossed a flash drive to Director Coulson, who caught it in his left hand “Forgot you were bionic. Plug that into a secure, isolated system and Louise will do the rest, giving the intel on those hackers you wanted.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it to Bronaja, we had a wager and I won, no need to confuse him anymore than you already have.”

“You got it.”

On his way out, Coulson got word his agents lost Gyrich and ran to the Royal Family, hoping Jen’s facial recognition program could help. He had only begun to debrief the Family when Cody Robertson joined them with Gyrich. Handing the Director a manilla envelope of his own, he goaded Gyrich into confessing to being Atlas, father of the original Arcade. Then Hunter shoved the man up against a wall by his throat, goading him further into giving them usable intel by pretending to lose control. Jen, who had taken Hunter’s gun, tried to shoot Gyrich and Cody got in the way. After he hit the ground, Bobbi took the gun from Jen while Hunter slugged Gyrich before agents took the smug carrot top away. Auran said “Clear.”

Cody flew to his feet, asking with a grin on his face “How many times have we killed me?”

“Four,” answered Auran at the same time Louise said, “God knows,” drawing strange looks.

Cody explained, “Alice and Louise are twins, I had some close calls before the Talos mission.” He offered Coulson his hand “Alice will know but tell her not to tell anybody until the press blows over, please.”

“Will do, Gabriel.”

“Thanks.” He turned to Louise, “It had to be done.”

“Okay.” She mentally went through his records and caught on to the plan as he ran out of the room.

Bobbi gave Hunter his gun back “Just so everyone’s on the same page. Cody Robertson is dead, his recorded testimony from the Talos mission will help shut down the Olympus Group- an organization involved in weaponizing Enhanced children. Henryk and Grace Robertson were recruiters for the Group. When children in their care developed powers, they were issued scholarships to cover up their disappearances.”

Auran added, “Every member of the crew recorded videos in case something happened to us or the ship, we figured stranded in space was as good as dead. Maximus sent the videos to Attilan through the Skrulls. I know Mark made one confessing to being Mag, I imagine Cody made a confession of his own.”

Louise said “Yeah, he did.” The video was projected onto the far wall in front of Jen’s console, “This one has multiple recipients named but no addresses, just names of news companies, law enforcement agencies, the DOJ itself, and CPS in a few specific states. The strange thing is, I can’t play the video. I know what it’s about but I can’t play it, only Alice knows how to block me out like that but I can’t find any proof she accessed the file.”

“Is SHIELD listed?” asked Bobbi.

“Yeah.”

“Transfer it, we’ll see that it finds its way into evidence.”

“Will do.”

“Only send it to us. Gyrich and the Robertsons prove the Group has eyes and ears in the government. Keep a copy, in case something happens to SHIELD.”

“I’ll send you a copy, how about that?”

“That works.”

**Breaking News**

“Our top story today, a video has been released by Talos mission leader Auran Boltagon depicting recently deceased crew member Cody Robertson confessing to several murders committed under the alias Vulcan, a member of the now infamous Olympus Group. We’re still waiting on authentication but Commander Boltagon claims that prior to the release, SHIELD was given the video as evidence-”

“In other news, Cody Robertson blew the whistle on a conspiracy of Olympic proportions in a video released following his death. The video, allegedly recorded during the Talos mission, depicts Robertson telling the story of his involvement in an organization called the Olympus Group, wherein he operated under the alias Vulcan. Talos Commander Auran Boltagon claimed that the release of the video was done according to mission protocol as well as claiming that SHIELD authorized the distribution-”

“This just in, authentication of the video released by Commander Auran Boltagon of the Talos has just been received. As the Allied Forces, the agency responsible for the Talos Mission, is currently defunct, authentication was difficult to come by. Outside sources have confirmed that the video is most likely authentic-”

Scott grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, disrupting the students crowding around. “That’s enough.” It was no secret around the school that Cody had been Scott’s brother so the students simply dispersed, muttering to each other. After his brother’s death, Scott took to wearing his glasses again rather than risk losing control. He told all of his students in class why he was wearing them and by the end of the first day, everyone in the school knew. They all grieved in their own way, the Boom Room saw a lot of use by students who looked up to Cody. Alice stayed holed up in the infirmary almost all day, Jean and Alex turned the bunker into a Smash Room (somewhere to break stuff without hurting anyone).

Mark Lucas sauntered into the teachers lounge the day the news broke about the video. He handed Skylar Robertson and Corsair each a stack of papers, “I discovered something interesting when I was going through the AF inventory. The AF had several training facilities, each named for a notable astronaut or explorer who lived nearby, but the actual bases, where trainees went after they finished training, were never named. The simulator they were so proud of, that was going to revolutionize astronaut training, also nameless. So, here’s what I’m thinking, we take our aliases from the mission and name the bases after that. Obviously I don’t want to call a place Black Death Base, so we won’t translate the names. The equipment that was never named, we’ll use alien races for those.” He looked at Corsair “I want to name the HQ after your wife so I can make a big deal out of giving Sky the AF and get the news people to stop painting your dead son as a monster. Mind you, we all know Alice wouldn’t stick around if we sent her soulmate to his death but still, appearances and all that. I’m leaving the planet at the end of the summit, probably forever, and if I can do some good before that, well, what better way to honor the best man I’ve ever known? Second to none, I’m serious, he turned down millions, maybe even billions of dollars because he cared too much to let me work myself into the ground, trying to find something to be once Mag wasn’t needed. I just need you to sign, as Katherine’s next of kin, giving the AF the right to use her name. Since the crew’s already signed on with the AF, I can take their names and as for the aliens, I’m sure Maximus can spin that in Terra’s favor. But, if this is gonna mean anything, we have to move fast. I also have to introduce my future wife to my family and Faith to, well, everyone.”

The inventor stood up and left, instead of dealing with the fallout of his words. He took the portal to his hometown and, with a bit more fast talking, got his parents and Ashley to accompany him to the nearest portal station. Scanning his diplomatic ID, he gave the Shi’ar guards by the portal landing orders to take good care of his family then went to get Faith, Amber and Bronaja. He found the last one dealing with a shock of his own from reading his SWORD contract and got them all to come with him without telling them what was going on. When he introduced Lilandra to the Lucas family, he saved Faith for last “This is best friend, Faith Stiles. She’s most likely a Blank because she’s a Plant-Based Artificial Lifeform and plants, obviously, don’t have soulmarks. She’s also got a gift for making things grow despite the odds and if she wants to leave the planet, I’d like to facilitate that. With everything going on, with Cody and the Illuminati and Clayton Cole and just everything, I’m sure you can understand.” He stopped talking for a moment to brush the fringe of his hair back, “What I’m saying is, Faith’s got no one and I’m not in the business of abandoning people, ‘member?”

“Yes, I do remember.” Lilandra clearly wasn’t happy.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but I have to ask, why’d you never come back for me? Havok’s Starjammer status proves Terra wasn’t too dangerous for the Shi’ar. I’ll admit, I didn’t wait patiently but with the way you explained Shi’ar soulmarks, I couldn’t even find comfort in the fact I still had your mark before Terrigenesis because unlike Terrans, Shi’ar marks aren’t affected by death so I had no way of knowing you survived the trip back home. You made it official, I am your husband in everything but name. You really expect me to forget the years I spent thinking that even if you were dead, I’d never know so what’s the point wondering. I told you all about Blanks, I told you we’re the only ones allowed to move on when our beloved is gone. I had no idea where you were, if you were alive. Let me be clear about something, I spent over a decade waiting for some confirmation that I didn’t lose everything that day when I was fifteen, I changed my name when I was nineteen, had a friend of mine cover everything up when I was sixteen, gave up when I was almost thirty and joined the Talos mission in my thirties. For the sake of my sanity, please, explain it to me. Explain how come I was your Majestor since I was sixteen and didn’t know for over two decades, explain why I should have waited when I had no reason to even suspect you still cared, I didn’t even know if you died that day, explain what is wrong with me trying to move on after my heart was broken. Please, just tell me, why did you never come back for me? It’s driving me nuts.”

“You know how empires work, Marcus.”

“It’s Mark now, Mark Neramani Lucas, as of my nineteenth birthday, almost four years after you left. Are you telling me you didn’t come back because you couldn’t come without coming for conquest?”

“I am telling you that if I told the truth about us, before I was secure on the throne, you would’ve lost everything.”

“Lila’ I lost everything the day you left. In the week following, I learned the truth about my mentors, about my family. I was sixteen, fresh out of school, when I found out the people I looked up to tortured my little brother to death. I thought, for years I thought, that the school was the only place I belonged, that I had no home with my family because my father couldn’t look at me when he picked up my sister, because my classes on emotional awareness didn’t prepare me for the fear my family lived in while I was in genius heaven. Then come to find out, it was all a lie. The school was keeping me prisoner, turning me against the only people I should care about and I was too stupid to notice. When I helped you, I betrayed them and you know as well as anyone here how they feel about that. I was perfect for the Talos mission because getting lost in space for the rest of my life was no big deal, I had nothing really tethering me to Earth. You could’ve come back any time, tell the truth Lila’ or I’ll just take the Talos and leave.”

“D’Ken was authorized to use whatever means necessary to annex Earth, I had to call it off and I couldn’t tell them not to take the whole thing, to just take one person.”

“Then how did Havok wind up among the Starjammers?”

“The Starjammers were thieves, they pulled double duty as scouts sometimes but for most of their existence, they were thieves who traversed the universe.”

“At least that’s true. So Corsair went against you to save his son and you didn’t think to leverage the boy to get the thieves to steal me back for you?”

“Politics got in the way.”

“I could’ve been there for you, I coulda stopped them from replacing you. Terrigenesis only removes soulmarks when the bond becomes incompatible, where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re going to trade Corsair’s sons, discharge his eldest and officially welcome his youngest. I’m going to announce the Allied Forces revival and with it, the official opening of the Katherine Summers Memorial Space Center then I’m gonna give Cody’s sister the company. We can figure out the politically correct way of bringing me into the fold after I honor the best man I ever met, and it ain’t Corsair. Since I’m Majestor of the Shi’ar Empire, I would like to invoke the rights of an alien sovereign. Terra will be persona non grata as long as even a single person involved in my family’s case is left unaccounted for, double anyone who harmed peaceful aliens such as the Shi’ar. I’d also like to invite a diplomatic envoy to Terra to collect the body of the dead Kree, which an unknown entity with strong ties to the old SHIELD experimented on. With your support, I can work around my Inhuman status. Two alien empires, even one as weak as the Kree are now, will provide the leverage to get this show on the road. Lastly, I want to bring Maximus’ document ending the intergalactic slave trade before the UN as the first step to them properly joining the galactic stage. That olive branch will get us out of an actual treaty, which I think would be unwise with how they’ve handled alien diplomacy thus far. Venom was supposed to be involved in all matters involving aliens, being a resident of Earth from another planet but that has never happened. Before I leave the planet, probably for good, I want to do some good. In exchange for helping me out, I’ll give you my complete file to show your advisors so you can finally justify me to them. I love you, Lila’ but my trust is not something anyone is entitled to. Even I’m not entitled to it and it’s my trust.”

She smiled faintly before speaking in a very professional manner when she said “I find your terms acceptable.”

“If Faith wants off-world, we’ll take her. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Good, now that business is out of the way. I’m sure we’d all like to get to know each other, I can honestly say I don’t know anybody I share DNA with.” The rest of the day went well. Lilandra and Faith competed against the twins, trying to tell the funniest story about Mark. Eventually, the engineer’s phone went off and he stepped out of the ornate sitting room in the Shi’ar Sanctuary to take the call. He popped back in to say he had a launch to get to before he moved in with his love, giving Lila’ a chaste kiss. He made the announcement in true billionaire genius engineer style, emulating Tony Stark and tossing his keys to Sky on the way out. He packed up his things from the apartment he shared with Faith before taking the nearby portal back to the Sanctuary.

Thanks to his fast talking and Maximus’ aid in bringing the last of the alien races to Earth (the Kree included for the experiments performed on their dead), the judicial system picked up the pace and had most of the people involved in the global conspiracies correctly labelled traitors to the planet, releasing those who were forced to serve them. Within weeks, the summit was nearing an end. Before their last week, Mark was formally named Majestor of the Shi’ar Empire and his family was granted royal alien status, protecting them from everyone who may attempt retaliation.

While his family assisted SHIELD in apprehending Gyrich and faking Cody’s death, Maximus was being tested for mutant powers at the Jean Grey Institute. The results revealed that Terrigenesis had indeed bestowed gifts upon him as he tested into the Class Four or Five range on the mutant scale once his powers were fully awakened. With his Inhuman status formally confirmed, Black Bolt and Medusa were able to easily push through their decision to name Maximus as heir to the throne, making Auran an official Princess of Attilan in the process. This change meant the couple had to move into the palace.

After hearing this, the people of Lai Shi threw them a party on their last night in the city, wherein Maximus gave Bronaja’s sister Iridia the keys to his apartment for her and her soulmate Kanen. Auran could often be found with Crystal in the weeks following the announcement, learning everything she should have been taught upon meeting her royal soulmate. Her husband, meanwhile, kept busy by arranging for and managing alien envoys on top of his regular royal duties and working out trade agreements with said aliens to give Attilan an edge over the pretentious human world leaders.

On their last night on Earth, Mark and Lilandra attended an event held to commemorate the end of the summit, which was also Mark’s first event as Majestor of the Shi’ar Empire. The entire Talos crew was in attendance, although Cody was disguised for obvious reasons, and they even managed to stop a couple of human miscreants armed with counterfeit, unstable alien weapons for old times sake. Alice asked Maximus “Why did you invite me to this?”

The Crown Prince of Attilan answered honestly “Although I am glad you decided to come, I cannot take credit for inviting you.” He smiled regally before adding “A few alien trade agreements are in the works tonight, I would like you to look over ours before the final signing if that is not too much trouble.”

“No, not at all.”

“I’d offer to dance but I cannot risk the scandal that would result from any man dancing with Cody’s widow, much less a fellow crew member.”

“Yes, I remember the rumors.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I have a diplomat to save from self-destruction.”

Alice followed his gaze and found a man in a nice suit talking to an alien, completely oblivious to the homicidal looks he was getting. As Maximus began his approach, Alice realized what race the extraterrestrial was from and guessed the ambassador most likely opened with hello, which constituted a death threat to people from that particular part of space. All of the men who had previously been such thinly disguised creeps were now keeping a respectable distance from Dr. Robertson. Thinking back on Maximus’ words, she realized how bad it would look on both of them if she danced with anyone there. Alice found herself seated with the Inhuman royal family once the meal began, Mark and Faith were both seated with the Shi’ar a few tables over. Since all of them knew Cody was alive, they didn’t walk on eggshells around her. Auran even pointedly brought up Gabriel a few times, which was her husband’s new name Alice knew, even though it was decided she’d be safer not knowing where he was. Jen wondered how long her mother would wait when her father passed, bringing up the decades between her parents and her father’s unconventional lifestyle. They managed to talk about things Alice had been worried about without directly bringing up her situation. She had been told to keep quiet until the media moved on before telling anyone but Mark blew that plan out of the water when he came to the school to talk about the AF after the video aired. Corsair took the bullet, informing his sons that he was taking Gabriel with him when the Starjammers left but swearing them all to secrecy so the students wouldn’t have to hide something so big - they didn’t want to further complicate the kids’ already complicated lives.

After dinner, there was more schmoozing then Auran caught Alice leaving and rushed her in another direction. “Why does it feel like we’re always sneaking around?”

“Because we are,” answered Cody from beside her, flashing her a grin as they tried to keep up with the Boltagon couple, who had serum enhanced speed and a strong soulbond on their side. The open portal they jumped through took them to the Shi’ar Sanctuary where the Inhuman couple left them. Maximus waited in Attilan’s portal room while the other soulmate pair said their goodbyes. When Alice came through, she thrust a phone at her twin sister “Can you encrypt that for me?”

Taking the phone, Louise said, “Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got an epilogue in the works but for now, this is it


End file.
